James May’s latest television project has been dealt a major blow after the star sustained a nasty injury. The former presenter of The Grand Tour was injured after falling off his bicycle.
He had an accident near Hammersmith Bridge in London during a charity bike ride earlier this month, resulting in a ‘busted’ wrist. This mishap has now caused disruption for his new Channel 5 show, The Great Explorers With James May.
James, 61, expressed his frustration at the injury which prevented him from filming several scenes planned for the new series. When he got injured, James shared the news with his followers on X, formerly known as Twitter.
He said: “I’m taking part in a charity bicycle ride today, with the Armonico Consort and me old mate Oz Clarke (OBE). But I’m going in the car, because I bust my wrist in a bicycle accident.”
In a recent interview, he voiced his annoyance over his injury. “At my age, this sort of thing takes much longer to heal,” he told the Telegraph. “I woke up one day and the one thing I never thought would happen had happened: I felt old. It’s partly my hair; my baggy face.”
James’ new series will see him tracing the journeys of famous explorers like James Cook, Sir Walter Raleigh and Christopher Columbus, recounting their stories and travels, reports the Mirror.
According to a source who spoke to the Sun, the show will feature James May delving into the stories of renowned explorers across three 90-minute episodes dedicated to each one. He will not only examine their achievements, from engineering breakthroughs to culinary discoveries, but also the treasures they brought back to Europe.
Additionally, the series will shed light on the lesser-known, less impressive aspects of these explorers, revealing that their discoveries may not have been what they seemed. This comes after James May recently revealed that he was “not depressed” about the end of The Grand Tour, joking that it was time to stop the show because the three hosts, including Jeremy Clarkson and Richard Hammond, were ‘on the brink of death’.
May expressed that he is ‘not full of woe and regret’ about the final episode, which aired earlier this month, as the trio ended on a high note. Speaking at Market Place Vauxhall, where vendors have collaborated with May to create limited-edition James Gin-infused dishes, he said: “Nothing will ever be as big as Top Gear and The Grand Tour were, so I’m not full of woe and regret.”
He continued: “It was time to stop. We are all getting quite old. One or two of us are on the brink of death, and I hope we left on a high note with people wanting more, because that’s what you’re supposed to do in show business. So, I’m not depressed about it. It’s a time for reflection, a reflection usually leads to another gin.”