The Grand Tour’s James May has addressed a key moment in the trailer for the final ever episode of the hit Amazon motoring show.
Fans were left emotional last month when the promo for the final special, titled One for the Road, showed Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond and May embark on their final trip together, bringing over two decades of working together to a close.
The former Top Gear hosts head to Botswana and Zimbabwe for their last-ever special and, if the trailer is anything to go by, there will be the usual blend of banter, teasing and motoring expertise along the way.
In one talked-about moment from the trailer, Clarkson and Hammond share a laugh when the former reveals the brutal jibe their co-star aimed their way.
After Clarkson and May bicker over how to fix a car, an exasperated Hammond says: “We don’t all have to go to the same old folks home do we? It’s not obligatory after this…”
A giggling Clarkson points at May and remarks: “He said he’s deleting our numbers as soon as we finish.”
As Hammond bursts into laughter, Clarkson imitates May as he says: “‘We’ve finished. Delete. Now they’re gone!'”
Luckily, even though May has also been banned from Clarkson’s newly-opened Cotswolds pub, it sounds like the trio will remain close pals.
Opening up about the finale and that phone number remark, May said: “I remember saying in an early meeting that it was important that we actually genuinely enjoyed our cars and didn’t allow it to descend into too much bickering or aggressive pranking of each other.
“I also didn’t want to be too introverted, emotional or navel-gazing; it had to be joyous. We had to come together and acknowledge our shared enthusiasm.
“It’s quite a tricky balance to strike, I think because it’s in our nature to be horrible about each other.
“And there are a few moments like that, like when I say, ‘I’m deleting their numbers from my phone’ as soon as it’s over.”
Delving into the true sentiment, May added: “That’s us being quite British and undermining our own feelings, which I think is the right thing to do because that’s genuinely us.
“I’d have hated it if it had been, ‘Oh no, it’s the end’, because ultimately, if we were that upset about it, we’d keep going. But we can’t keep going because we’re too old and we’ve exhausted our take on the subject.”
Andy Wilman, The Grand Tour’s executive producer, also touched upon May’s quip about cutting ties with his colleague when he opened up about saying goodbye to the show.
“The film is gentle. And it works because I think the three of them were at their very best with the dialogue and banter with each other,” Wilman said.
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“I think it’s the best I’ve seen them. When they’re joking about how Richard was going to be Buttons in Swindon Panto in two years’ time, we on the crew were dying.
“And then James is talking about deleting their phone numbers. It’s very funny. They’re very good at taking the sting out of the sadness.
“But also, when they’re on the lake, and they have a few drinks, and they’re a bit p***ed, and they’re talking about the good times, they’re also at their very best.”
The Grand Tour: One for the Road premieres on Amazon Prime Video on September 13.
