How even Jeremy Clarkson got bored of cars, thrills and ‘banter’
When historians look back to determine when the Long Noughties came to a close, they might pinpoint September 13, 2024. This date signifies the final episode of The Grand Tour, the Amazon Prime series that followed the popular Top Gear format with Jeremy Clarkson, James May, and Richard Hammond. In this show, they continued their trademark style of outrageous challenges, crazy stunts, adventurous road trips, and plenty of cheeky, humorous banter. While some might view this concluding adventure as the end of a significant period, it's important to recognize that the true era of this trio ended quite some time ago.
A lot has changed since the trio first came together on Top Gear in 2002. Clarkson has become the champion of the British countryside with his show Clarkson’s Farm. May has finally been given the chance to play around in his workshop, pursuing his passion for making gin and repairing toy trains on BBC Four’s The Reassembler. Meanwhile, Hammond, who was quite the heartthrob in the early 2000s with his bootcut jeans and spiky hairstyle, has shocked viewers by mixing Alan Partridge’s hairdo and country gentleman style with David Brent’s goatee. They’ve strayed so far from their original vibe that it’s easy to forget how much of a shift it felt when they first took the wheel on Top Gear.
The original Top Gear, which started in 1977, had the vibe of a mix between a consumer watchdog program and a council official visiting your elementary school to explain road safety. One intriguing preview in Radio Times stated, “Sue Baker discusses how air deflectors can help save fuel, especially for caravans.” Another compelling episode teased, “The MOT test remains a topic of debate. Are the standards applied uniformly across different testing stations, and do drivers receive a fair assessment?”
However, the reboot turned out to be something entirely different. Gone was the genuine advice for everyday drivers; instead, we saw celebrities racing around in mid-range sedans. Top Gear shifted its focus away from the average motorist and catered to car enthusiasts—those who are captivated by the allure of cars, perhaps even more than the actual experience of driving. Its blend of ridiculous challenges, globetrotting adventures, and playful banter that often crossed the line of good taste made it a lot of fun to watch, unlike the traditional MOT comparisons. For example, it’s difficult to picture Sue Baker saying May's famous line: “Oh, cock.”
By stripping away almost all the practical features that would normally appeal to car enthusiasts, Top Gear transformed into a show that anyone could enjoy, regardless of whether they had a driving license. The three presenters came across as playful and exuberant, genuinely enjoying their time together, and it showed. It’s fair to say they embodied the image of what many in mid-2000s Britain considered to be the ideal representation of healthy masculinity and male camaraderie: humorous, somewhat mischievous, yet sturdy enough to handle a bit of friendly banter.
It turned into a must-see program, with many countries eager to create their own versions. By the mid-2010s, considering the global broadcasting rights, DVD sales, merchandise, and books, Top Gear was generating £50 million annually for the BBC.
Top Gear had its own distinct vibe. It's not often that a television show—especially a Sunday night magazine program featuring three middle-aged guys—shapes its own unique perspective. Yet, Top Gear had a strong character. It embraced rock music from between 1971 and 1983, had a preference for worn-in leather biker jackets, admired Gillian Anderson, and dismissed political correctness as nonsense. For a time, Clarkson, Hammond, and May embodied the ultimate 'Dad' figure, each showcasing a different side: Clarkson as the wittiest person you'd find at the pub, May as the quirky homebody, and Hammond as the charming socialite.
As time went on, a feeling of aimlessness began to emerge. The extravagant travel escapades became increasingly flashy, the pranks turned more routine, and the old-fashioned complaints about political correctness grew into something much more troubling.
In 2014, there was a significant backlash when Clarkson was heard using a variation of “eeny meenie miney mo” that seemed to contain the n-word. Additionally, he made an offhand comment during a road trip in Thailand that included an insult directed at southeast Asian individuals. Furthermore, casual homophobia pervaded his remarks, as he once humorously compared a Jaguar XKRS’s handling to George Michael's reputation, a quip that Michael himself addressed.
It's safe to say that the times of Angela Rippon or Tiff Needell wouldn't have raised any concerns for the Mexican ambassador to the UK. However, the actions of these three individuals did. Eduardo Medina-Mora Icaza expressed his frustration in 2011, stating, “These insulting, xenophobic, and demeaning comments only contribute to negative stereotypes and perpetuate bias against Mexico and its people.” This remark was in response to an incident where Hammond described a Mexican car as “lazy, inept, flatulent, overweight, slumped against a fence, dozing off, staring at a cactus while wearing a blanket with a hole in the middle as a coat.”
Despite all efforts, nothing changed. By the middle of the 2010s, the trio was virtually invincible, their success far too great to be hindered. As May later reflected, “At that time, it was estimated to have around 350-360 million viewers.”
However, things took a dramatic turn for the worse. In 2015, the BBC was rocked by a major scandal when Clarkson physically assaulted producer Oisin Tymon, leaving him with a bloodied lip. An internal investigation revealed that Clarkson had insulted Tymon by calling him “lazy” and referring to his Irish heritage, leading Tymon to win £100,000 in a discrimination and injury lawsuit. Just two weeks later, Clarkson's contract with the BBC was terminated. Following his departure, both May and Hammond decided to leave as well. In a matter of days, one of the BBC's most valuable shows effectively came to an end.
It quickly became obvious that the success of the car show relied heavily on the trio of Clarkson, Hammond, and May. When Top Gear introduced new hosts, it struggled to find its footing, desperately trying different combinations of personalities in an effort to recapture the original magic that simply can’t be manufactured. The brief stint with Chris Evans was particularly disastrous, as he left after just one season, causing ratings to plummet from 4.3 million viewers to 2.8 million. In contrast, the last season featuring Clarkson, Hammond, and May averaged about 6.4 million viewers.
In the meantime, the original three moved to Amazon. The Grand Tour kicked off in 2016, but it became clear that a car show alone wasn't satisfying their creative needs. Clarkson embarked on a new adventure, showcasing his antics in a rural setting; May enjoyed diving into his interest in tinkering through delightful BBC Four shows; and Richard Hammond stayed active with projects like Crazy Contraptions, Brain Reaction, and Britain’s Beautiful Rivers. By the end, The Grand Tour had evolved into a travel program, offering viewers glimpses of stunning cinematic scenery that most people would never see in their Vectras.
Actually, car shows seem to have disappeared these days. Is it because climate change has become a more pressing and alarming issue than it was in the early 2000s, making the appeal of flashy supercars feel uncomfortable? Not really—there are plenty of electric cars available now to create an entire season of Top Gear. Instead, it seems that the overly masculine and brash attitude that characterized Top Gear and The Grand Tour has begun to wear thin.
Turn on any British TV channel, and you’ll see a noticeable change. Shows like Gogglebox, Taskmaster, Race Across the World, Mortimer and Whitehouse Gone Fishing, and even Bake Off have all shifted the landscape. Viewers now value sincerity, compassion, humor, and kindness over the gritty, immature antics of the past. This change has also influenced how much boldness we expect from our TV personalities. If we can enjoy watching regular people bake in a tent, do we really need to see them take dangerous risks in fast cars?
Ultimately, it was this incident that caused Top Gear to come to a sudden stop. In December 2022, Andrew “Freddie” Flintoff was involved in a terrifying crash while filming for the show, resulting in facial scars and broken ribs. This wasn’t the first accident of its kind; back in 2006, Richard Hammond also faced a serious incident while driving a drag racer. “I was behind the wheel and then, two weeks later, I found myself in Leeds,” he reflected a few months after the event. The car flipped and rolled off the track at an astonishing 288 mph due to a blown tire. Hammond spent two weeks in a medically induced coma and suffered brain injuries. “There was a time when I couldn't even daydream,” he shared. “It was incredibly scary, very surreal.”
It was a terrible situation. Yet, when Hammond returned, he was greeted with a mock celebration: fireworks and dancers greeted him as he arrived at the studio for his first show after the accident. However, in 2022, the circumstances were different, particularly due to the severe injuries Flintoff suffered. “I really shouldn’t even be here after what happened,” he said a week later. The thrill-seeking attitude that once characterized Top Gear now felt meaningless. Leaving a beloved figure with serious injuries, damaging his face and causing him nightmares and flashbacks, just for an eight-minute segment didn’t seem justifiable. This was especially true as the once-thrilling danger and excitement had begun to turn off viewers.
The excitement and thrill, along with the signature banter and desire for dream cars, used to be the driving force behind Top Gear and The Grand Tour, turning them into massive hits. However, these very elements now seem to highlight how outdated the shows have become. Even the buzz around the three hosts’ last episode feels subdued—I think they might even be relieved to no longer have to think of new gags. Is anyone shocked that Clarkson, Hammond, and May are stepping back? The car show has been running low on energy for quite some time.
You can now watch ‘The Grand Tour: One for the Road’ on Prime Video.
