James May has been slammed for appearing to downplay the dire state of affairs facing the British pub industry, despite it being confirmed that two pubs are closing their doors each day.
His comments come in light of Prince William publicly calling for the drinking establishments to be "protected". The future king told the press yesterday: "I love pubs. I want to do as much as I can to support them because I love the community."
William's intervention comes as Britain's pub sector faces mounting difficulties, with industry data revealing 161 establishments ceased trading during the opening three months of 2026.
The job losses stemming from these closures are estimated at approximately 2,400, with younger employees bearing the brunt of the impact.
James May owns his own pub
| GETTYThe British Beer and Pub Association has attributed the wave of closures to escalating labour expenses, heightened taxation, and wary consumer spending patterns.
But despite being a pub owner himself, The Grand Tour host Mr May didn't seem too concerned.
"My pub has become quite successful in recent months, and I think it's actually pretty simple: cheerful staff, a nice range of drinks, decent food - food is important, clean lavatories, somewhere to park the car in the case of the countryside. It's a fairly simple formula," he told LBC's Nick Ferrari.
Addressing William's public stance, in particular, he went on: "I get very conflicted about all the 'Save the Pub' stuff that's going on... The honest truth is that if things need protecting, they're not doing themselves any favours.
James May also has his own gin brand
| PA"Pubs are not actually institutions; they're not historical monuments or any of that stuff, they are essentially businesses, first and foremost, but beyond that, they're places that have to work.
"The pub will be saved by the pub, nothing else. It would be nice if we could have lower rates and lower duties and so on, but that's not really the issue. The issue is the quality of pubs themselves, I think."
Mr May went on to admit that he didn't purchase his own pub for financial gain -"that's a bit of a fool's errand with a pub" - but instead professed to buying it for "selfish" reasons as it was the only pub in "walking distance" to his countryside home.
The Top Gear veteran bought his share in The Royal Oak in Swallowcliffe, Wiltshire, back in 2020, and while he managed to keep the lights on and stop it from going out of business, a "natural cull" of pubs was necessary, he claimed.
Prince William has spoken publicly about the need to 'protect' the British pub
| PA"I've said this before, there had to be a natural cull," he told Mr Ferrari. "There were many thousands of pubs, and on some streets in Britain, there was one or maybe two.
"We don't need as many as we did. They're not a refuge for single working blokes who can't feed themselves anymore. They're more social and dining spaces. They're more of an event in a way.
"There is room for a few old-style boozers, the death of which everybody laments... but I suspect most people don't want that and we simply don't need as many pubs as we once had."
His rather blunt assessment of the situation concluded: "The simple truth is: the good ones survive, and the bad ones will fade away."
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Mr May's comments quickly irked a number of listeners at home, many of whom flocked to social media to claim the TV presenter-turned-pub owner was out of line.
One X user fumed: "That’s b*****ks. Being crippled by government policies/taxes. Lots of good pubs are closing. Granted, society has changed, and many people don’t drink as much or socialise in person as people did in the past, although I’m not sure the general population is happier for it!"
A second weighed in: "Pubs are an integral part of our culture; without pubs, the country will become an empty vessel. A pub is a community hub, a place where you make new friends, partnerships start, and problems are shared; they’re essential and should be protected."
Meanwhile, a third pointed out: "I could think of one hundred people better placed than him to give an opinion. Even the good ones (according to him) are closing. He’s got the bank balance, so he’s not as affected."
James May is best known for roles on The Grand Tour and Top Gear | PA"Most people today are poorer in real terms than they were 20 years ago. I don’t suppose multi-millionaire @MrJamesMay has to budget for his trip to the pub," a fourth argued. "I think that and the birth of the massive cut-price Wetherspoon’s superpubs popping up everywhere has killed the local pubs."
A fifth hit out: "That’s very oversimplified. ‘Bad ones fade away’.. does he have any idea of the pressure many good pubs are under with rates? Foolish oversimplification and inaccurate. Many ‘good’ pubs cannot continue due to exorbitant taxes and rising running costs. May being blasay is moronic."
And a sixth raged: "I like James May, but he came across like an a**e this morning. First, he said only pubs with good food, staff, and facilities keep going. Next breath, when asked if he did it for financial gain, he said it’s impossible for pubs to make money.
"It’s a hobby for him; it’s other people’s livelihoods."
"We simply don't need as many pubs as we once had."
— LBC (@LBC) June 4, 2026
James May tells @NickFerrariLBC the 'honest truth' about Britain's boozers. pic.twitter.com/WkCygfa2D2
The 63-year-old did receive some support, however, from listeners who appreciated his brutal and no-holds-barred verdict.
"Thank you for finally saying it," one X user weighed in. "There are an insane amount of pubs and not everyone has a given right to exist in a declining and heavily saturated market."
A second similarly typed: "Pubs are closing because people's habits have changed. We don't need as many because not so many people frequent them.
"James is correct. We don't need as many as we used to." (sic)