Latest news with #TheGrandTour
TimesLIVE
a day ago
- Automotive
- TimesLIVE
Richard Hammond changes lanes with own line of gin and whisky
Globally recognised automotive personality Richard Hammond has taken the plunge into the world of spirits. Best known for his work on Top Gear, The Grand Tour and DriveTribe, the 55-year-old British broadcaster has unveiled a collection of artisanal gin and whisky developed in collaboration with award-winning producers Hawkridge Distillers. 'Creating these spirits has been a real passion project,' said Hammond. 'It's about taking all that love for craftsmanship and storytelling I've picked up in the car world, and pouring it into something people can actually hold, taste and enjoy. It's me, just slightly more distilled.' Richard Hammond's new spirits, Ratio Gin and Iron Ridge Whisky, will make their official debut at DriveTribe Live 2025 on August 30 at Bicester Heritage. Attendees will be among the first to enjoy exclusive tastings, purchase the spirits and meet Hammond in person for a behind-the-scenes look at the journey from concept to bottle. The spirits will be available globally beginning September, with DriveTribe continuing to champion the collection across all platforms.
Daily Mail
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
I met James May on the set of Top Gear and The Grand Tour - here's what he's REALLY like when the cameras stop rolling
A group of colleagues and fans of James May have revealed what the TV star is really like off camera. James is best known for fronting Top Gear alongside co-stars Jeremy Clarkson and Richard Hammond for more than a decade since he joined in 2002. Some fans who have met the presenter in person shared their experiences in a thread on Reddit. One posted: 'Has anyone met any of them in person? How did it go? Good/bad experience?' Someone who worked as an extra on The Grand Tour set recalled how James had been engrossed in the planes. They said: 'I was one of the lucky hundred of extras who filmed the first Grand Tour episode in California!' The fan met James' co-star, Jeremy, who he described as 'tall' and added: 'He signed the back of my driver's license and told me not to get pulled over. Cheeky dude.' As for James, they recounted how he 'was more interested in the aviation and planes than the people. To be fair there were an overwhelming amount of us. Seemed fitting though lol'. Another recalled their meeting with James back in 2012 at a Top Gear event. They said: 'In 2012 there were something called Top Gear Live that they toured with and got to meet James May, quite pleasant meet.' While someone else who claimed: 'Yup. Worked as an advisor on the Vietnam Special.' They went on to describe Richard and James as 'great fun'. Another recounted how they met James in his pub and said: 'Absolutely awesome, just dumb luck he was there at the same time as me. 'He signed a bottle of his gin for me too. Legend.' One fan recalled meeting both Jeremy and James at a Top Gear Live event and described them as 'incredibly thankful for the support they had received'. After an on-set altercation between Jeremy and a producer, the trio exited the Top Gear series and continued working together in 2015 on an Amazon Prime show, The Grand Tour. Since then, James revealed that he believes the BBC could have dealt with Jeremy's actions - in which he punched producer Oisin Tymon - differently. Following the incident, an investigation was launched and Jeremy was to exit the show with co-stars James and Richard refusing to sign new contracts with the BBC, causing the successful era of the show to end. Earlier this year, James confessed to The Sunday Times: 'I thought it was very unfortunate and I don't actually think our Top Gear had to end because of it. I think it could have been patched up and put down to a bit of high stress and flightiness, to be honest. 'It happened. It's regrettable and it's unfortunate, but it didn't need to lead to the collapse of something very successful.' James added that he believed the trios exit was down to people thinking it was 'time of us to move on'. Jeremy's actions with Oisin were reportedly due to him returned to his hotel in North Yorkshire after a long day of filming and found there was no available hot food to order. James went on to reveal whether he is still in contact with his former co-star after Jeremy revealed he has banned James from his pub, the Farmer's Dog in Oxfordshire. James said he wasn't interested in visiting the establishment anyways given it is based 80 miles from his home. However, the presenter did reveal he rang Jeremy up after his heart attack and the pair saw each other at a funeral not long ago. He said: 'I did actually see him a few weeks ago, at a funeral, unfortunately, of someone we both knew. He seemed all right. We just seem older.' The famous trio have now ended up in different places with Jeremy being the most successfully on Prime Video's Clarkson's Farm, Hammond on his car restoration show Richard Hammond's Workshop and James in James May and the Dull Men, shown on Discovery+.
Miami Herald
2 days ago
- Automotive
- Miami Herald
Car Trek Season 11 is Here With Three Sports Cars for the Price of a Plane Ticket
We may have lost Clarkson, May, and Hammond in Top Gear and most recently The Grand Tour, but we can at least rely on Ed Bolian of VINWiki, Freddy "Tavarish" Hernandez, and Tyler Hoover of Hoovie's Garage to bring us another season of Car Trek. This YouTuber-special series just dropped its 11th season, and with the third and final episode of the season coming tomorrow, it seems we're in for several treats. If you're familiar with the concept of the two aforementioned shows, then you'll understand and love Car Trek. Three friends, who in this case happen to be rather popular automotive YouTubers, purchase three questionable cars for far too little or too much money and proceed to take them on adventures that those cars have no right embarking on. Each season has a different goal and concept that puts everyone to the test, with AutoTempest and Ticket Clinic usually being the main sponsors of the series. "The Car Trek audience seems to enjoy our content the most when we are miserable and breaking down in truly terrible cars," Ed Bolian told me. "Our 11th series delivers that in an order of magnitude greater than anything we have suffered through before." So, what did the trio buy from series sponsor AutoTempest? Ed went German with a 2022 Audi TT Quattro, Freddy stuck to his JDM roots with a 1990 Toyota Supra Turbo, and Tyler followed in Ed's footsteps with a 1999 Mercedes-Benz SLK-Class. Neither car is as good as it was when it rolled off the factory floor, and all cost the same as a cancelled flight. If that doesn't spell disaster, then perhaps the questionable modifications they made to each other's cars for a dirt track race in episode #2 might. Will the cars last throughout all three episodes? Probably not, but it'll be fun for sure. Between endless car revival videos, the return of Finnegan and Freiburger of Roadkill fame, and now a new Car Trek season, it seems there is never a bad day for automotive enthusiasts seeking content on YouTube. If you haven't yet, catch episode #1 of Car Trek Season 11 below and then binge the second episode too in preparation for the third one on Friday. If the show's past seasons are anything to go by, then this one's finale is sure not to disappoint either. Copyright 2025 The Arena Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Hypebeast
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Hypebeast
Vivienne Westwood Returns to Menswear with Bold 'Dandy Meets Granny' Collection in Milan
Summary Vivienne Westwoodjust unveiled itsSpring/Summer 2026menswear capsule in Milan — marking the brand's first standalone menswear presentation since 2017. Held at the intimate Bar Rivoli near San Babila, the show presented a striking reinterpretation of masculine style under the titleCOLAZIONE DA ANDREAS, centered around the playful and subversive theme, 'Dandy Meets Granny.' Creative DirectorAndreas Kronthalerexecuted the concept with flair, blending early Renaissance aesthetics and the spirit of The Grand Tour with a modern, non-binary twist. The result was a collection that pushes the boundaries of traditional menswear while celebrating individuality and fluidity. The looks accentuated the male form in unconventional ways — playing with volume, texture, and silhouettes to draw attention to different parts of each model's figure. The designs ranged from relaxed, draped silk ensembles to structured, tailored pieces, offering a dynamic spectrum of modern fashion. Highlights included a sheer red mesh dress top embroidered with bold floral details, and a pair of hot pink boxer shorts featuring orange florals over black checkered fabric. The collection's textural contrasts — combining sleek materials with reinventive shapes — brought visual depth and artistic intrigue. By merging the classic elegance of the 'dandy' with the nostalgic charm of 'granny' style, Kronthaler crafted a lineup that felt both retro and radically new. Feminine-coded garments were reimagined for a men's line, challenging conventions and redefining what menswear can be.
Daily Mirror
21-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
I visited Jeremy Clarkson's farm shop and made instant call after just one look
Clarkson's Farm is smashing Amazon Prime Video's ratings records with each new release. The current series, the fourth, has proven to be its most popular yet, pulling in an impressive average of 4.4 million viewers per episode. This makes it Amazon Prime Video's top show, with viewer numbers on the rise since the third series. A fifth series is already in the pipeline, set to premiere in 2026. In terms of ratings, the show is essentially competing with itself — no other Amazon Prime Video programme has come close in the past couple of years, reports Wales Online. The show's popularity isn't surprising. It's a delightful mix of humour, emotion, charm and, of course, it's led by the man who made Top Gear and The Grand Tour such massive hits for decades. But beyond his knack for creating compelling telly (which must be easier with one of the world's wealthiest companies backing you), it's Jeremy Clarkson's warmth, passion, and willingness to learn and admit mistakes that truly sets the show apart (not to mention all the ribbing he gets from his sidekick and rising star Kaleb Cooper) He's dramatically boosted the visibility of British farming, along with its relentless hurdles – from extreme weather conditions to the staggering costs of tractors and the way the price of fertiliser can skyrocket by thousands in the blink of an eye, but it's not like you can hike up your potato prices overnight to compensate. Farmers seem to be thanking him for bringing their struggles to light, with one purportedly stating that Clarkson "done more for farmers in one series of Clarkson's Farm than Countryfile achieved in 30 years". I might have been late jumping on the Clarkson's Farm bandwagon, but now I'm devouring the four series with a voracity of about one per day. It's become the best bit of my day – absolutely brilliant. I popped into Clarkson's boozer, The Farmer's Dog, and two words summed up that experience for me. I loved every second, from the sprawling, heaving beer garden offering views of the Oxfordshire landscape to the cracking Sunday roast topped off with impeccable service. The lure of Jeremy Clarkson's Diddly Squat farm shop, famed for its appearances in the hit series, was too tempting. It's been the subject of Clarkon's disputes with West Oxfordshire District Council, tried to sell nearly-gone-off nettle soup at £10 a pop, and seen Lisa Hogan trying to sell China-made clothes despite a rule that everything sold there must come from within 16 miles. A memorable scene is when land agent Charlie Ireland discovers marmalade on the shelves and exclaims in shock: "But we don't grow oranges!". Nestled just south of Chipping Norton, roughly 12 miles from The Farmer's Dog, the farm shop has previously caused a stir with local council officials and residents due to the influx of visitors causing traffic woes. I half-expected chaos upon arrival, but the reality was surprisingly smooth with stewards swiftly directing us to ample parking despite the huge number of visitors. Zooming toward the farm by car (though there is a dedicated Diddly Squat bus stop outside), the high-vis brigade ushered us into a spacious field to join the ranks of parked vehicles where, pleasantly, traffic snarls were nothing but a hiccup. Once parked, a brief stroll across the road led me to what is undoubtedly the nation's favourite farm shop. The addition of new, purpose-built pavements on either side of the road was a welcome sight, especially considering the sheer numbers of people now flocking to this once-quiet country lane. The place was already buzzing with hundreds of visitors, some eagerly waiting for a selfie by the shop sign, others queuing for a pint of Hawkstone beer or a bite from the resident food van, and many more lounging on the numerous wooden picnic benches. However, upon seeing the enormous queue for the quaintly small farm shop (which was much tinier than I had anticipated), I promptly decided against joining it. I overheard talk that suggested that some had been waiting for an hour already. I would have relished the chance to peruse the products in person — luckily, many of them are available at the larger shop adjacent to The Farmer's Dog, where queues were virtually non-existent and I managed to snag some Bee Juice honey (£12) and a crate of Hawkstone lager (£28 for 12 bottles). Much like the pub, there was a palpable sense of excitement in the air, with everyone seemingly delighted to be there. Despite not stepping foot inside the shop itself, I left with fond memories of the unique experience Jeremy Clarkson and his team have crafted in this tranquil corner of the country. I'm certainly glad I dropped by. As well as its fresh produce, the food from the on-site food van and Hawkstone beers, here's a selection of goods you can buy at the farm shop.
