Major update on future of The Grand Tour after string of dangerous crashes
FANS of The Grand Tour can be reassured there are more special episodes in the pipeline – though they may have to wait longer than they hoped to see them.
Hosts Jeremy Clarkson, James May and Richard Hammond were last seen together in A Skandi Flick out on Prime Video in September.
Another special was filmed and was due to come out around Christmas, but never materialised.
Now I can reveal the new shows won’t even start filming until this October.
A TV insider said: “Devotees might have been disappointed and worried about the sporadic delivery of the specials. But they can relax.
“It owes more to the busy schedules of the hosts as well as the spectacular content which takes time to set up. But that does mean they’re unlikely to go out until 2024.
“The producers are set to start on the shows within weeks and cameras will start rolling towards the autumn.”
The first three series had between 11 and 14 consecutive episodes.
But series four of The Grand Tour featured four specials, filmed amid lockdown restrictions, that aired months apart.
Series five was also set to be four specials, but viewers will have expected them to be filmed and aired faster than the current timetable suggests.
The first of those, A Scandi Flick, saw Hammond, Clarkson and May indulge their love of cars in the icy wastes of the Arctic Circle.
They visited frozen lake racetracks, ski resorts and even Cold War submarine bases as they journeyed from the Norwegian coast to the Russian border.
Of course, it also included hairy moments including May’s crash at 75mph which saw him hospitalised. Thankfully he only suffered a broken rib.
Let’s hope all three of them stay intact long enough to start filming the next instalment — fans will be furious if they have to wait any longer.
TRINNY'S BEAUTY BOOTY
TV star and businesswoman TRiiny Woodall has no need to gloss over the latest financial results from her make-up business.
Her firm, Trinny London, earns almost £140,000 A DAY, according to new figures.
She made her name as the posh and bossy stylist on BBC makeover series What Not to Wear, with co-host Susannah Constantine, and was a regular on This Morning.
But Trinny has reinvented herself as a beauty guru with a new range of products, which she promotes heavily on social media.
And it’s paid off.
Her company generated sales of £50.6 million last year with most of the money coming from online purchases.
She should be made up about that.
BBC’S WAGATHA SCANDAL
THE Wagatha Christie saga could be recreated for the upcoming third series of BBC’s A Very English Scandal series.
It comes after Channel 4 made Vardy v Rooney: A Courtroom Drama, which aired last month.
The Beeb drama’s next run is in the early stages of development and the Wags showdown is one of a number of stories being considered, says entertainment news site Deadline.
The previous A Very English Scandal, in 2021, focused on the “Dirty Duchess of Argyll”, played by Claire Foy.
This followed the first season in 2018, about Liberal Party leader Jeremy Thorpe, played by Hugh Grant, who tried to get his ex-lover Norman (Ben Whishaw) murdered over fears he threatened Thorpe’s political career.
After all that, the Wagatha story is a curveball choice.
DYSLEXIA TO SPUR ON JOE
JOE Phillips’ start on BBC1 show The Apprentice has been overshadowed by his obsession with James Bond.
But the South African-born entrepreneur, who says on his CV his only weakness is being too handsome, doesn’t just want to prove he’s the “James Bond of business”.
He wants to represent those with dyslexia having been diagnosed himself as a youngster.
Joe, who led the boys’ team to victory in episode one, says: “I’m very proud to represent dyslexia on the show. I want young kids who are struggling with dyslexia (as I did) to know that it’s not a weakness, it’s a superpower.
“I also want teachers and mentors to embrace dyslexic thinking – they can expect big ideas and small typos.”
The second episode is on BBC1 tomorrow at 9pm.