Television presenter James May has revealed he felt out of place during his tenure on both Top Gear and The Grand Tour, yet believes this sense of not fitting in was crucial to the programmes' success.
The 62-year-old reflected on his time alongside Jeremy Clarkson and Richard Hammond, stating: "I have looked back at Top Gear, and The Grand Tour, and thought in many ways I didn't really belong on it."
However, Mr May recognised this apparent mismatch was fundamental to the shows' appeal.
"But that's exactly why I was on it. It needed one of each of us for it to work," he explained.
James May confessed he 'didn't really belong' on Top Gear or the Grand Tour
| PASpeaking to The Times, the presenter suggested their contrasting personalities created the dynamic that captivated audiences worldwide.
Mr May's journey to becoming part of the iconic trio began with disappointment when he didn't make the cut for the revamped Top Gear in 2002.
BBC executives initially believed the presenters' backgrounds were too alike and would attract only a limited viewership.
The turning point came in 2003 when Mr May was invited to join the programme after it had already been running for a year at its Dunsfold airfield base.
Richard Hammond, Jeremy Clarkson and James May worked together for more than two decades
| GETTYBy then, Mr Clarkson and Mr Hammond had established themselves as the show's anchors.
Reflecting on their dynamic, Mr May observed: "If we [Clarkson, Hammond and May] had been at school together, we'd have been in different gangs. That's actually why it worked."
This diversity of personalities would prove essential to creating the chemistry that made both programmes global phenomena, reaching audiences of 350 million across more than 100 countries.
The catalyst for Mr May's eventual inclusion came during an unlikely encounter at a French car launch event.
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Mr May and Mr Clarkson attended the unveiling of the new Audi A4 Cabriolet, where their disagreements about the vehicle caught Mr Clarkson's attention.
"There was nothing about the car we agreed on, but Jeremy thought the bickering would be ideal for Top Gear," May recalled to The Times.
The trip took an unexpected turn when Mr Clarkson made an unusual purchase at an antiques shop.
Mr May remembered: "Jeremy said, 'Can you give me a hand to lift my gargoyles into the car?' I thought, that's the most absurd thing I've ever done on a car launch."
James May reflected on the success of Top Gear and The Grand Tour
|GETTY
The Grand Tour concluded in September 2024 with an episode titled One for the Road, where the presenters drove through Zimbabwe in vehicles they'd always coveted. This marked the end of their 22-year partnership that began when Mr May joined Top Gear.
Despite the finale, Mr May has suggested another special could materialise.
He recently told the Oxford Mail about regions they never explored, particularly Southeast Asia and Australia's neighbouring territories.
Richard Hammond, James May and Jeremy Clarkson starred in The Grand Tour and Top Gear together | GETTY
"Malaysia, the Philippines and all that sort of whole strip of stuff. I've never been to any of that as far as I can remember, and I don't really know anything about it," he said.
His concept would involve purchasing the most affordable vehicles available locally, believing that "driving terrible cars is always much more interesting than driving really nice ones."