James May makes feelings clear on Grand Tour future amid calls for trio not to end show: 'Be thankful'

The trio have worked together on-screen for two decades, garnering a global fan base on the BBC's Top Gear before making the switch to Amazon Prime Video in the mid-tens.

Nevertheless, the appetite for the motoring show with the trio at the helm still appears to be there, with fans overjoyed a few months back when Clarkson dropped a clue they may be reuniting.

However, May has put that to bed, making his feelings clear on a possible return while speaking to Nick Robinson and Amol Rajan on BBC Radio 4's Today podcast.

During their conversation, Rajan put May on the spot: "What's going on with TV and The Grand Tour? Is there gonna be a new series, are you gonna come back, are we ever gonna see you driving around in cars again?"

May answered: "Well, I want to have a conversation with the sort of remote PR person in the back of my brain who tells me what to say on things like this.

"No. There's still a big special to come which is coming later this year and I'm not allowed to tell you what date it's coming out I think, so I won't say it's September.

"I can say anything I want now, frankly. But we're not going to make another series together about cars, no."

However, he did provide a slight tidbit of consolation, correcting himself: "Hang on, you should never say no, should you?

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"Because that's a slightly trap question because that's one of those questions you always ask politician when you say, 'Well, you can't say no forever'. I think it is pretty unlikely."

"Are you sad about it?" Robinson then chipped in, to which May replied: "Yes...

"I recorded today the last piece of voiceover I will ever record for The Grand Tour and therefore, in that whole legacy of Grand Tour, Top Gear and the few things I did before that. So it was telling.

"But - you always ask me about this and I hate you for it - we have to accept we've done it for nearly 22 years... a lot longer than we thought we would.

"I thought, when I started doing it in 2003 or 2004, that this was a bit of a laugh, maybe it'll last a few years. And, here we are, grey and wizened and sagging. And we've only just stopped doing it, it's quite remarkable.

"You have to be grateful for the opportunity and thankful that it happened, and accept - you know - I don't want to be the person in the pub who used to be on the telly."

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May then reflected on his other ventures away from the show that he has in the pipeline - including his own gin brand which he sparked controversy with this month.

"This sounds pathetic, sorry, I wasn't prepared for this, it sounds feeble but I don't really know what's (coming)," he admitted.

"We are working on a few things, me and some chums, they're quite modest.

"I'm in the fortunate position to do things for the sheer joy of it and I hope one or two of those might come off and I hope one or two of you might even watch them."