The Grand Tour hosts wanted to stop before they 'destroyed' show, says James May
"We exhausted the idea fairly thoroughly, I think, so it's like we quietly put it to one side rather than destroy it."
Jeremy Clarkson, James May and Richard Hammond's motoring series The Grand Tour came to an end earlier this year, bringing to a close the journey the trio started on with Top Gear back in 2003.
May has now reflected on the show drawing to a close in a recent interview with Yahoo UK, and said that while it's a "sad" moment, the trio decided to end the show so as not to "destroy it".
May said of the series ending: "It's sort of sad, and I know people are sad that it's over, but it couldn't go on forever, and we're all getting on a bit.
"And we exhausted the idea fairly thoroughly, I think, so it's like we quietly put it to one side rather than destroy it."
May was then asked whether it had truly hit him yet that that chapter in his life was over, to which he said: "Yes, it keeps coming back to me in quite small ways.
"I think in [The Grand Tour finale] I was talking about things like my green bag, which I only used for trips with the other two.
"And we've been quite spoiled in some ways, other people effectively organised your holidays, we just have to turn up and do the presenting and adventure bit.
"So now I'm going to have to organise my own holidays and probably only go on two a year, but I did it for a long time, I'm very grateful for it."
Clarkson previously explained his own thinking behind ending the series, saying: "It's a young man's game. The other thing is that if we were to sit down and ask, 'Where next?' – well, we've been everywhere. We've done everything you can realistically do with a car, and the world has shrunk - and that's the tragedy.
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"Years ago, we drove from Iraq into eastern Turkey into Syria, Damascus and Israel. We did the Crimea to Ukraine. You couldn't do any of that now."
Meanwhile, Hammond has said he expects the show to continue without the trio, with new presenters stepping into their roles.
He assured fans: "It will be carrying on. The Grand Tour continues. We’re stepping away as the hosts, but Prime will be continuing it. So I can’t wait to sit on my own chair and watch somebody else do it. That’s amazing."
May is now appearing in his own new series for Quest, James May and the Dull Man, while one of his other shows, Our Man in..., has been cancelled by Prime Video.
The Grand Tour is available to stream on Prime Video. Try Amazon Prime Video for free for 30 days. Plus, read our guides to the best Amazon Prime series and the best movies on Amazon Prime.
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Authors
James Hibbs is a Drama Writer for Radio Times, covering programmes across both streaming platforms and linear channels. He previously worked in PR, first for a B2B agency and subsequently for international TV production company Fremantle. He possesses a BA in English and Theatre Studies and an NCTJ Level 5 Diploma in Journalism.
