James May has said that he, Richard Hammond and Jeremy Clarkson are ‘quite different’ but despite this, he said his former Top Gear co-stars had a ‘significant’ role in his life
James May has revealed some details of his relationship with his Top Gear and The Grand Tour co-hosts, Jeremy Clarkson and Richard Hammond, calling them “workmates” but saying they were “significant” figures in her life.
The trio have been at the centre of speculation recently and in September, it emerged that the company behind their television ventures – W. Chump & Sons – had shut down with £24,087,100 on the books. Then in October, James, 62, ruled out an in-person appearance on Clarkson’s Farm despite being seen on the show through Zoom calls.
Now James has revealed that his wife, Sarah Frater, told him he was “slightly obnoxious” when he returned home from filming the big Grand Tour specials as he appeared “buzzed up” after “shouting and drinking” with his co-stars. He admitted that while that “might have been true,” it is normal for TV to “exaggerate your characteristics, so in a way it does make you obnoxious.”
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Talking about the impact Top Gear had on his life, the TV presenter said: “It was a job, but I did it for 20 years. It’s shocking really. Almost a third of my life was spent with those bell—s.” Speaking to the Daily Mail, James added that while Jeremy, 65, and Richard, 55, were his “work mates”, they had a “significant” role in his life.
But after being asked if he considers them friends, he said: “I think of it in terms of if we’d been at school at the same time we’d have been in rival gangs. There would have been a healthy respect for each other, but we wouldn’t have fitted in each other’s gangs. The three of us are quite different people.”
James, who has embarked on a solo tour called Explorers – The Age Of Discovery, also said he met Richard three weeks ago and added that “he seems happy enough.” However, he didn’t mention any recent meetings with Jeremy, despite admitting he is happy that his show is doing well.
He told the publication: “I’m pleased Clarkson’s farm is doing well because he needed something else. I think we’re all reasonably content. I’m not going to mourn it.”
Earlier this year, James said in an interview that he though his exit from BBC’s Top Gear was avoidable. The presenter had been the face of the series for over a decade since he joined in 2002, but an on-set altercation between Jeremy and a producer led to the trio’s exit. They continued working together, however, and joined Amazon Prime Videos for The Grand Tour in 2015.
The final episode was released in September 2024. Despite the success of their new show, James said he believes the BBC could have dealt with Jeremy’s fracas – in which he punched producer Oisin Tymon – in a different way. Following the incident, an investigation was launched. With Clarkson’s exit sealed, both James and Richard refused to sign a new contract, bringing the show’s most successful era to an end.
Speaking to The Times about how their exit played out, James confessed: “I thought it was very unfortunate and I don’t actually think our Top Gear had to end because of it. I think it could have been patched up and put down to a bit of high stress and flightiness, to be honest.
“It happened. It’s regrettable and it’s unfortunate, but it didn’t need to lead to the collapse of something very successful.” He added that he pondered their exit being down to people thinking it was “time of us to move on.”
