The BBC has confirmed that Top Gear will return, responding to renewed interest in car television just as Amazon Prime prepares to launch a new season of its rival show, The Grand Tour.
The new cast has not yet been revealed and remains under wraps.
A programme paused after a serious accident
After 20 years on air, 33 series and 240 episodes, the BBC halted production of Top Gear in 2022. The decision followed a serious accident on set, in which presenter and former cricketer Andrew Flintoff was badly injured after rolling a Morgan Super 3 at the Dunsfold test track. The show has been on hold ever since, with presenters Chris Harris, Paddy McGuinness and Flintoff himself moving on to other projects.
At the same time, The Grand Tour, which launched after original Top Gear frontman Jeremy Clarkson left the BBC for Amazon Prime, was also winding down, with its most recent episode featuring Clarkson, Richard Hammond and James May released in September 2024. Both shows have since existed in limbo, caught between strong demand from fans and the practical challenges of continuing them, including the large budgets and heavy reliance on presenter chemistry that defined the format under longtime producer Andy Wilman.
The Grand Tour returns first, with a new digital-native cast
Fans will not have to wait much longer. The first episode of the new season of The Grand Tour is set to premiere on Amazon Prime on 4 September 2026, fronted by a new trio drawn from the world of online video and selected directly by Wilman, who remains as writer and producer, alongside Clarkson. Two of the new hosts, James Engelsman and Thomas Holland, are known for the YouTube channel Throttle House, one of the most followed car channels in the world, while the third, Francis Bourgeois, built his following largely on TikTok.
BBC responds with a confirmation of its own
As Amazon Prime released the official trailer for the new season of The Grand Tour, the BBC issued its own statement on the future of Top Gear. BBC entertainment director Ed Havard said there had been plenty of speculation on the subject, confirming that Top Gear would indeed return.
No new presenters have been officially announced, though a report from The Sun suggests comedian Jimmy Carr could be among them.
