Amazon Prime Video has announced three new presenters for season 7 of The Grand Tour.
Following in the footsteps of Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond and James May, Francis Bourgeois, James Engelsman and Thomas Holland will be taking over the reigns of the motoring adventure show.
It comes after the original trio drove off into the Botswana sunset for the final time two years ago.
From crossing the Angolan desert in track cars to exploring Malaysia’s vibrant car culture, this latest series will see the new presenters head off toCalifornia to test America’s latest performance cars.
But, to find out more about who this new trio is and what their previous experiences include, Metro has taken a deep dive into their careers.
Francis Bourgeois
Francis, whose real name is Luke Nicolson, rose to prominence as a social media personality through his hilarious enthusiasm for trainspotting.
Although he will be swapping trains for cars on The Grand Tour, the young star boasts impressive technical experience.
The 25-year-old has a background in mechanical engineering and has previously worked for Rolls-Royce.
Online, he has also attracted millions of followers thanks to his train content.
Discussing his new hosting duties, Francis said: ‘The saying “big shoes to fill” springs to mind. Well, in this case it’ll be like Mo Farah running in Size 14 wellies — it’ll be a little awkward at first, perhaps blister-inducing but will overall be an interesting watch.’
James Engelsman
Best known as being one half of the popular YouTube automotive channel Throttle House alongside Thomas, James also boasts an impressive background in cars.
Through the channel, he has built a reputation for delivering detailed car reviews, performance testing and entertaining challenges.
He has also become a respected figure within the global car enthusiast community.
Discussing how he and Thomas have worked with each other for almost a decade making car films, James said: ‘Who knew that all this time, the one ingredient that was missing was a Francis Bourgeois? Let the car adventures commence.’
Thomas Holland
James’ fellow Throttle House host Thomas is a Canadian automotive journalist and content creator who co-founded the channel in 2015.
Prior to his time on YouTube, Thomas worked in motoring journalism and even dabbled in a career of amateur racing.
Known for his insight into high-performance vehicles, he is also expected to bring his polished on-screen presenting style to the show.
Prior to his announcement as a presenter on The Grand Tour, he explained how when he first heard they were rebooting the series and replacing Clarkson, Hammond and May: ‘I said “only a moron would take that job”.’
How have fans reacted?
It remains to be seen how the new presenting trio will differ from Clarkson, May and Hammond, but the shift towards their talent boasting a strong digital following is clear.
Reacting to Francis, Thomas and James’ appointments, there were some mixed reactions online.
Writing on X, Chris said he has ‘very high hopes’ if the former hosts gave the thumbs up.
Neil also said that ‘Throttle House has been doing a spectacular job’ while Peter is a huge fan of Francis.
Meanwhile, Leighton exercised a common concern that the new hosts should not try to replicate the old hosts, writing: ‘Please tell the new boys not to try to be the old lot. It never works.’
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