The Grand Tour Is Also Over and Clarkson, May, and Hammond Might Return to Top Gear

Earlier this year, the BBC ended months of speculation regarding the fate of the time-enduring auto show Top Gear following host Freddie Flintonff's devastating crash from last year. The UK version of the show would not continue, neither with the current trio of hosts nor with new ones. The BBC spoke of putting the series "on rest," but that was just a fancier way of saying "cancellation."

According to buzz in the UK media, another iconic, though not as enduring, auto-centric show is coming to an end: Amazon Prime's The Grand Tour.

The connection between the two goes beyond the fact that they cater to the same auto enthusiast public to the fact that The Grand Tour was started by the most beloved hosts from Top Gear (Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond, and James May) after they were booted by the BBC.

The Grand Tour started as an experiment in 2016 on Amazon Prime but has since proved its staying power, growing in popularity with each new season. Much of the credit for that goes to the hosting trio and the amazing chemistry they have, of course. Unnamed sources are telling the British tab that the trio has recently decided it was time to move on to other projects.

These projects will keep them in the spotlight and on the small screen, just not together and not doing the kind of car stuff audiences have come to love them for. According to one source, the three feel they've grown too old for this type of show – a true statement, though whether it's accurate remains to be seen.

There's a saying in showbiz that there's never smoke without fire, which, in this particular case, could mean negotiations are underway to keep Clarkson, Hammond and May onboard for at least another season before the curtain call. To quote from popular wisdom, time will tell if that was ever the case.

Since we're on the topic of rumors and how they're almost always rooted in truth, another report claims the three might be considering coming back to Top Gear in a full-circle kind of move that would crown their career as presenters.

We can put this one to rest right off the bat, using the recent statement from the BBC: "Given the exceptional circumstances, the BBC has decided to rest the UK show for the foreseeable future." The network is not closing the door on Top Gear for good, but at least for a while. If Clarkson, Hammond, and May are too old for The Grand Tour now, they will definitely be too old for Top Gear when it resumes production.