{"id":1830,"date":"2025-03-13T09:00:40","date_gmt":"2025-03-13T10:00:40","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/pilotshopworld.com\/?p=1830"},"modified":"2025-03-13T15:03:08","modified_gmt":"2025-03-13T15:03:08","slug":"top-gear-stars-make-traumatising-return-10-years-after-explosive-bbc-exit","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/pilotshopworld.com\/index.php\/2025\/03\/13\/top-gear-stars-make-traumatising-return-10-years-after-explosive-bbc-exit\/","title":{"rendered":"Top Gear stars make \u2018traumatising\u2019 return 10 years after explosive BBC exit"},"content":{"rendered":"
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class=\"metro-related-video-carousel__related-video-placeholder-thumbnail\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<div class=\"metro-related-video-carousel__related-video-placeholder-headline\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span><\/span><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span><\/span><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span><\/span><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"metro-related-video-carousel__related-video-placeholder\">\n<div class=\"metro-related-video-carousel__related-video-placeholder-thumbnail\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<div class=\"metro-related-video-carousel__related-video-placeholder-headline\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span><\/span><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span><\/span><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span><\/span><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>\t\t\twindow.addEventListener(‘metroVideo:relatedVideosCarouselLoaded’, function(data) {<br \/>\n\t\t\t\tif (typeof(data.detail) === ‘undefined’ || typeof(data.detail.carousel) === ‘undefined’ || typeof(data.detail.carousel.el_) === ‘undefined’) {<br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\treturn;<br \/>\n\t\t\t\t}<br \/>\n\t\t\t\tvar player = data.detail.carousel.el_;<br \/>\n\t\t\t\tvar container = player.closest(‘.metro-video-player’);<br \/>\n\t\t\t\tvar placeholder = container.querySelector(‘.metro-video-player__up-next-placeholder’);<br \/>\n\t\t\t\tcontainer.removeChild(placeholder);<br \/>\n\t\t\t\tcontainer.classList.add(‘metro-video-player–related-videos-loaded’);<br \/>\n\t\t\t});<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><a data-track=\"inline-tag-auto-link_article\" href=\"https:\/\/metro.co.uk\/tag\/top-gear\/\">Top Gear<\/a> stars <a href=\"https:\/\/metro.co.uk\/tag\/richard-hammond\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Richard Hammond<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/metro.co.uk\/tag\/james-may\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">James May<\/a> made a ‘weird’ pilgrimage to the <a data-track=\"inline-tag-auto-link_article\" href=\"https:\/\/metro.co.uk\/tag\/bbc-2\/\">BBC<\/a>’s show’s former headquarters.<\/p>\n<p>The duo said they had not visited Dunsfold Aerodrome since they exited the programme in 2015 when co-host <a href=\"https:\/\/metro.co.uk\/tag\/jeremy-clarkson\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Jeremy Clarkson<\/a>, 64, <a href=\"https:\/\/metro.co.uk\/2015\/03\/25\/jeremy-clarkson-fired-as-top-gear-host-following-altercation-with-producer-oisin-tymon-5119558\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">was fired<\/a> after<a href=\"https:\/\/metro.co.uk\/2015\/03\/12\/jeremy-clarkson-punched-top-gear-producer-in-row-over-a-steak-5099693\/\"> punching producer Oisin Tymon<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Both Richard, 55, and James, 62, said they felt ‘funny’ returning to their former offices as they documented the visit on James’s YouTube channel, Planet Gin.<\/p>\n<p>As they stood outside their former green room, Richard admitted: ‘I feel really odd being here.’<\/p>\n<p>He continued: ‘The last time I was here, I was leaving after the last studio record. I was in the bronze Land Rover. And I sat up and thought, well, that was that.’<\/p>\n<p>Before entering their ex-production offices, Richard warned James it could be ‘weird.’<\/p>\n<figure class=\"img-container shareable-item wp-caption\">\n<div class=\"img-wrap\">\n\t\t<img width=\"646\" height=\"363\" src=\"http:\/\/pilotshopworld.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/SEI_243683360-d510.jpg\" class=\"article-image wp-image-22718911\" alt=\"Richard Hammond & James May FINALLY Return to Top Gear HQ\" loading=\"lazy\" \/>\t<\/div><figcaption>James May had not been back to Top Gear’s former offices in years (Picture: YouTube\/James May’s Planet Gin)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"img-container shareable-item wp-caption\">\n<div class=\"img-wrap\">\n\t\t<img width=\"646\" height=\"453\" src=\"http:\/\/pilotshopworld.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/SEI_243683510-0f3f-e1741859305390.jpg\" class=\"article-image wp-image-22718904\" alt=\"Richard Hammond and James May inside the former Top Gear production office\" loading=\"lazy\" \/>\t<\/div><figcaption>He revisited Top Gear’s former HQ with Richard (Picture: YouTube\/James May’s Planet Gin)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Agreeing, James stated: ‘It is going to be weird. It might be a bit traumatising.’<\/p>\n<p>Once inside, Richard and James had a hunt for any Top Gear relics, joking they had left their ‘youth, vigour and energy’ in the building.<\/p>\n<p>On YouTube, viewers were hit with a wave of nostalgia, including @jebdunkins6796, who wrote: ‘That was emotional. Both for James & Richard and for us. I’m sure I’m not the only one when I say that Top Gear wasn’t just a TV show, it was an integral part of my childhood.’<\/p>\n<p>Echoing their sentiment, @TheColasaufer said: ‘The editing is perfect for this one, the absence of music and the subtle flashback type inserts really sell the emotional weight, sense of nostalgia and memories rich and james probably felt on that day.’<\/p>\n<figure class=\"img-container shareable-item wp-caption\">\n<div class=\"img-wrap\">\n\t\t<img width=\"646\" height=\"456\" src=\"http:\/\/pilotshopworld.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/AY_17296745-48ca.jpg\" class=\"article-image wp-image-22718959\" alt=\"Television programme: Top Gear. Richard Hammond, Jeremy Clarkson and James May.\" loading=\"lazy\" \/>\t<\/div><figcaption>Richard, Jeremy and James presented Top Gear from 2003 until 2015 (Picture: BBC)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"img-container shareable-item wp-caption\">\n<div class=\"img-wrap\">\n\t\t<img width=\"646\" height=\"363\" src=\"http:\/\/pilotshopworld.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/SEI_243684143-296f.jpg\" class=\"article-image wp-image-22718967\" alt=\"Richard Hammond & James May FINALLY Return to Top Gear HQ\" loading=\"lazy\" \/>\t<\/div><figcaption>They filmed the show at Dunsfold Aerodrome (Picture: YouTube\/James May’s Planet Gin)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>@darkmatter2211 shared: ‘I miss you guys on TV so much. No matter how cruddy life was, I was guaranteed an hour of genuine happiness.’<\/p>\n<p>@DanielWright-np3fq added: ‘I’m not trying to be maudlin, but this is like watching two old soldiers returning to an old battlefield. We were there with them when they were younger and full of their power. The best of times. Edited to add: just rewatched it again and I want to both cry a little and stand up and cheer for The Lads. Well done, gentlemen. All of you.’<\/p>\n<p>Richard, James and Jeremy presented Top Gear for more than a decade from 2003 until 2015 when they moved to <a href=\"https:\/\/metro.co.uk\/tag\/the-grand-tour\/\">The Grand Tour<\/a> on <a href=\"https:\/\/metro.co.uk\/tag\/amazon\/\">Amazon<\/a> Prime.<\/p>\n<p>On Top Gear, they were replaced by <a href=\"https:\/\/metro.co.uk\/tag\/chris-evans\/\">Chris Evans<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/metro.co.uk\/tag\/matt-leblanc\/\">Matt LeBlanc<\/a> before Chris Harris, <a href=\"https:\/\/metro.co.uk\/tag\/freddie-flintoff\/\">Freddie Flintoff<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/metro.co.uk\/2024\/03\/02\/paddy-mcguinness-hasnt-spoken-freddie-flintoff-10-months-20385150\/?ico=mosaic_tag\">Paddy McGuinness<\/a> became the presenters in a shake-up.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"img-container shareable-item wp-caption\">\n<div class=\"img-wrap\">\n\t\t<img width=\"646\" height=\"434\" src=\"http:\/\/pilotshopworld.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/PRI_22261626-4275.jpg\" class=\"article-image wp-image-22718958\" alt=\"(L - R) Presenters James May, Jeremy Clarkson and Richard Hammond strike a pose during filming of The Grand Tour. Undated handout file photo issued by Amazon of (left to right) James May, Jeremy Clarkson and Richard Hammond during filming of The Grand Tour, as the debut episode of the show set a new streaming record for Amazon Prime Video, the company has said. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Issue date: Tuesday November 22, 2016. The Former Top Gear stars Clarkson, Hammond and May's new effort has become the subscription service's biggest premiere, beating previous number one show on the service, 2015's The Man In The High Castle. See PA story SHOWBIZ GrandTour. Photo credit should read: Amazon Prime Video\/PA Wire NOTE TO EDITORS: This handout photo may only be used in for editorial reporting purposes for the contemporaneous illustration of events, things or the people in the image or facts mentioned in the caption. Reuse of the picture may require further permission from the copyright holder.\" loading=\"lazy\" \/>\t<\/div><figcaption>After leaving Top Gear, James, Jeremy and Richard presenter The Grand Tour (Picture: PA)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>However, <a href=\"https:\/\/metro.co.uk\/2023\/11\/21\/top-gear-axed-bbc-confirms-news-freddie-flintoff-crash-19798812\/\">Top Gear has since been taken off air for the foreseeable future<\/a> after Freddie was airlifted to hospital after a horror crash and said to be \u2018lucky to be alive\u2019.<\/p>\n<p>The pro cricket player suffered from life-changing severe facial injuries and broken ribs, and had been <a href=\"https:\/\/metro.co.uk\/2024\/05\/05\/richard-hammond-wants-speak-freddie-flintoff-top-gear-crashes-20778478\/?ico=mosaic_tag\">driving an open-topped car at a reportedly high speed of 130mph<\/a> when it flipped and slid along the track.<\/p>\n<p>The Grand Tour also ended <a href=\"https:\/\/metro.co.uk\/2023\/11\/29\/jeremy-clarkson-james-may-richard-hammond-leave-grand-tour-19903286\">last year<\/a> – but James said <a href=\"https:\/\/metro.co.uk\/2024\/01\/05\/top-gear-star-60-claims-too-old-new-motoring-show-20067212\/?ico=mosaic_tag\">he thinks the time is right for a brand new motoring show<\/a> with fresh talent because he, Jeremy and Richard are \u2018too old\u2019.<\/p>\n<p>He did however offer some hope about <a href=\"https:\/\/metro.co.uk\/2023\/12\/27\/james-may-reveals-future-jeremy-clarkson-richard-hammond-20029319\/?ico=mosaic_tag\">reuniting as a trio on another project,<\/a> elsewhere saying: \u2018I wouldn\u2019t rule it out, but you do have to bear in mind that we\u2019re all getting on a bit.\u2019<\/p>\n<p><strong><em>Top Gear is available to stream on BBC iPlayer.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center\"><strong>Got a story?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center\">If you\u2019ve got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the <a href=\"https:\/\/metro.co.uk\">Metro.co.uk<\/a> entertainment team by emailing us celebtips@metro.co.uk, calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our <a href=\"https:\/\/metro.co.uk\/submit-stuff\/\">Submit Stuff<\/a> page – we\u2019d love to hear from you.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>{“@context”:”https:\/\/schema.org”,”@type”:”VideoObject”,”name”:”Metro.co.uk”,”duration”:”T1M36S”,”thumbnailUrl”:”https:\/\/i.dailymail.co.uk\/1s\/2025\/03\/13\/09\/96145483-0-image-m-16_1741856541392.jpg”,”uploadDate”:”2025-03-13T08:59:08+0000″,”description”:”While exploring the rooms at Top Gear’s abandoned HQ, the pair almost let slip a secret game they played.”,”contentUrl”:”https:\/\/videos.metro.co.uk\/video\/met\/2025\/03\/13\/7220646698816749335\/480x270_MP4_7220646698816749335.mp4″,”height”:270,”width”:480} To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to<\/p>\n<p class=\"more-link\"><a href=\"http:\/\/pilotshopworld.com\/index.php\/2025\/03\/13\/top-gear-stars-make-traumatising-return-10-years-after-explosive-bbc-exit\/\" class=\"readmore\">Continue reading<svg class=\"icon icon-arrow-right\" aria-hidden=\"true\" role=\"img\"> <use href=\"#icon-arrow-right\" xlink:href=\"#icon-arrow-right\"><\/use> <\/svg><span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Top Gear stars make \u2018traumatising\u2019 return 10 years after explosive BBC exit<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1832,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[10],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/pilotshopworld.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1830"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/pilotshopworld.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/pilotshopworld.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/pilotshopworld.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/pilotshopworld.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1830"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"http:\/\/pilotshopworld.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1830\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1838,"href":"http:\/\/pilotshopworld.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1830\/revisions\/1838"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/pilotshopworld.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1832"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/pilotshopworld.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1830"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/pilotshopworld.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1830"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/pilotshopworld.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1830"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}