Richard Hammond has spoken out about ending The Grand Tour after its fifth series, which will no doubt have come as a disappointment to fans of hit programme.
While the announcement surprised viewers at the time, the car enthusiast, 54, revealed he and co-stars Jeremy Clarkson and James May “decided years ago” when the popular series would come to an end.
The Prime Video series’ penultimate instalment Sand Job premiered on the platform on Friday which saw the trio jet to Mauritania, Africa and drive along the route made famous by the Paris-Dakar Rally.
“The key thing on that whole issue [is] we had decided years ago that we wanted to be in control,” Hammond reflected.
He went on: “Having set off on this incredible adventure that none of us thought would ever come our way, we all wanted to be the ones — and I don't just mean us three, all of us— to decide when and where and how we landed it, and we have done.
“But that isn't uppermost in our minds yet because we haven't finished.”
Richard Hammond explained the plan for the series end was decided 'years ago'
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Speaking to Yahoo, the former Top Gear star added: “We've worked together a very long time and been lucky to share some simply incredible experiences that none of us ever thought would come our way.”
While it seems the group had planned to conclude the series on a high, it could also have been the toll it took on the three men that decided the end date for them.
Hammond recently went into detail about how filming Sand Job was particularly difficult for him given the scorching temperatures the three had to shoot in.
“You’re losing all your fluids through sweat. My eyelids were sweating,” he recalled.
The Grand Tour is now airing its penultimate show, Sand Tour
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He continued: “So I was peeing sand and steam. I’m probably riddled with kidney stones as a result. You can’t drink enough.”
Speaking to The Standard, he continued: “We’re always told, ‘Stay hydrated’, but you can drink water constantly and still get dehydrated. It’s hard work. It’s exhausting, trying to drink enough.”
The motorheads started in Mauritania before heading to the Sahara and later going south to Senegal in Sand Job.
The trio planned to end up at a finish line on the beach of Dakar in their own selected, modified, and second-hand sports cars - although the special's closing moments show how they're stopped at the very last hurdle.
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The Grand Tour will end after five series
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The trio launched The Grand Tour in 2016 in the wake of their infamous Top Gear exit.
The show was an instant success and fans have looked forward to tuning in to their new adventures.
While they have only one more to look forward to after Sand Job, viewers can still get their fix of Clarkson, whose series Clarkson's Farm continues on the streaming platform.
The third series starring the 63-year-old is set to premiere in May of this year.
