The former presenter James May has addressed detractors who have voiced displeasure at The Grand Tour’s fresh season on social media platforms.
May served as one of the original hosts of the Amazon Prime motoring programme, appearing alongside Jeremy Clarkson and Richard Hammond since its debut in late 2016.
The trio departed from the BBC’s flagship automotive show to launch the new series.
The concluding season, titled One For the Road, became available to viewers in September 2024.
Thomas Holland, James Engelsman and Francis Bourgeois comprise the fresh presenting team who have taken over presenting duties for the first new instalment, which premiered recently.
May, whose on-screen persona earned him the moniker Captain Slow, used the social media platform X to challenge naysayers who have expressed disapproval of the programme since its comeback.
A fan account dedicated to Clarkson’s Farm drew a comparison between the TikTok trainspotting personality and May.
The account stated that Francis Bourgeois had become the new James May on The Grand Tour.
May did not appear receptive to the critique, responding by urging critics to give the programme an opportunity.
However, he eventually relented when another user contended that the social media trainspotter, whose actual name is Luke Magnus Nicolson, surpasses May in certain qualities.
One comment asserted that the newcomer outperformed May and possessed considerably greater height.
May appeared to accept this observation with good humour, jesting that Bourgeois, reported to stand at six feet and three inches, dwarfs Captain Slow by several inches.
The fan account later appeared to reconsider its initial stance, characterising the replacement for Jason Dawe in the programme’s second series as someone who possesses the meticulous nature of an engineer.
The account observed that when May, Clarkson and Hammond eventually concluded their involvement with The Grand Tour, it genuinely marked the conclusion of a form of television programming that the industry no longer seems capable of producing.
Regarding their tenure on Top Gear, the account noted that the disputes between the presenters were not manufactured segments but appeared to stem from genuine camaraderie among three individuals who maintained affection for one another and delighted in provoking each other.
The programme transformed into a situation comedy that merely incorporated high-performance vehicles.
During the presenters’ tenure on the BBC version, viewership figures attained remarkable levels, with approximately 350 million individuals watching across the programme’s entire run.
The commentator further noted that the programme’s significance extended beyond mere ratings, providing viewers with a sense of genuine companionship.
The on-screen chemistry appeared authentic, having endured vehicle accidents, public controversies, termination by the BBC, and the subsequent transition to Amazon’s streaming service.