The incoming presenter of The Grand Tour has spoken positively about the encouragement received from the programme’s previous hosts.
Francis Bourgeois will anchor the forthcoming series of the Prime Video automotive series, joining content creators Thomas Holland and James Englesman, after the original line-up departed the show.
During an event in London marking the launch, Bourgeois, recognised for his viral trainspotting content, characterised the endorsement from Jeremy Clarkson, James May, and Richard Hammond as invaluable support.
He described the former presenters as having been exceptionally welcoming and generous.
Bourgeois noted that the previous hosts understood the programme was transitioning to capable hands, and receiving their approval represented tremendous encouragement for the new team.
Holland made clear, however, that the incoming presenters would establish their own identity rather than replicate their predecessors.
He observed that individuals naturally share viewpoints on certain aspects while differing on others, describing this as inherent to automotive enthusiasm.
Englesman, a Canadian automotive journalist who co-hosts the YouTube channel Throttle House alongside fellow Canadian Holland, explained that the trio had operated independently for extended periods.
He indicated that their focus would be on developing cohesion among themselves rather than attempting to follow the patterns established by the previous hosts.
Bourgeois, whose birth name is Luke Nicolson, revealed that the rapport among the new presenters developed during the year preceding production.
The Grand Tour premiered on Amazon Prime Video in 2016, after Clarkson, May, and Hammond departed the BBC’s Top Gear.
The original trio will appear as guest contributors throughout the upcoming season, which is scheduled to premiere on Prime Video on September 4.
May has previously stated that the trio chose to leave after feeling they had depleted the subject matter.