Thomas Holland Grand Tour hosts hope to prove critics wrong
Thomas Holland Grand Tour co-host Thomas Holland, with James Engelsman and Francis Bourgeois, has replaced Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond and James May on Amazon Prime Video. Early reviews are mixed, but Holland says fans' doubts are justified — and Bourgeois hopes the trio will prove the critics wrong.
The reboot arrived on Prime Video on Friday, 4 September 2026. For more than two decades, Top Gear and The Grand Tour were defined by Clarkson, Hammond and May, so anyone stepping in faced a daunting task. Holland, Engelsman and Bourgeois know the scrutiny is real.
Key Takeaways
- YouTubers Thomas Holland and James Engelsman of Throttle House join train-star Francis Bourgeois as the new hosts.
- Prime Video's series takes the trio to Angola, Malaysia and Wales, after a California supercar opener.
- Early write-ups from The Independent, The Guardian and the FT were largely mixed three-star reviews.
- Clarkson, Hammond and May have backed the handover; Clarkson appears in episode one.
- Bourgeois says the team has done its best and hopes to prove the critics wrong.
Who hosts the new Thomas Holland Grand Tour era?
Holland and Engelsman already present Throttle House, a motoring YouTube channel with more than three million subscribers. Holland, originally from Canada, founded the channel in 2015; Engelsman, from the UK, joined in 2018.
The third seat went to Francis Bourgeois — real name Luke Nicolson — best known for exuberant trainspotting clips on TikTok and Instagram. Engelsman and Holland say chemistry tests with others felt different once Bourgeois arrived. "As soon as Francis showed up, we were like: 'That guy,'" Holland told the BBC.
Bourgeois has also worked as a mechanical engineer at Rolls-Royce and says his car enthusiasm runs as deep as his love of trains. For more viral culture coverage, see BlasterPost's True Crime & Unsolved Mysteries hub.
What do the critics and predecessors say?
The Independent called the reboot "all rather safe" and the presenters "stilted." The Guardian described a "decent, if slightly anonymous, presence" that felt "quite meek and pleasant," while praising Bourgeois as "the most enthusiastic enthusiast currently working on planet Earth." The FT also gave three stars and asked whether the series can survive without Clarkson, May and Hammond's big personalities.
Hammond told the BBC he watched the return and urged viewers to "give them the chance." Engelsman said the former trio were "very paternal and caring," with Clarkson even telling them: "We'll look after you." In episode one, Clarkson appears and tells viewers he thinks they are "going to love it."
Why does Thomas Holland say fans should still watch?
Holland calls fans' doubts "completely justified," noting many grew up on Clarkson, Hammond and May just as he did. "Have a watch and if you don't like it, you're well within your rights," he said. Engelsman admitted the hosts shared the audience's early "Who would do that?" reactions before deciding the format could work.
Bourgeois put it plainly: "We've done our absolute best and the critics will be critics and I hope that we will prove them wrong." Whether the chemistry sticks is the next test for The Grand Tour's new generation.