You can love or hate the phenomenon that is Clarkson, May and Hammond but you can’t argue that they have achieved some incredible things. This book takes you behind the scenes for a new angle - the infamous Mr Wilman. I didn’t know a lot of the early stuff, that he and Clarkson had been friends for so long and just how much his career was propelled by Clarkson helping him out. Then you get to Top Gear and how that evolved and grew and became the beast it was… until eventually it imploded. I really liked the frank details here - where they didn’t act in the best way, Wilman doesn’t shy away from that, and he’s equally proud to discuss what they did well. There are highs and lows and crashes and races, things we know and things we don’t, and it’s all written really well with great humour. I loved it.

Until I saw the DriveTribe video, I didn't realise that Richard Hammond was working on his own gin - but, of course, it makes perfect sense. Hammond has long been a gin drinker, enjoying the tipple in many episodes of Top Gear and The Grand Tour. And when James May created his line of gin, Hammond was first in line to do the taste testing. As I wrote previously, he …

If you had asked anyone a few years ago who would be shining the best light on what a brutal and thankless job farming is, who would have put their hands up and said Jeremy Clarkson? The guy continues to cause controversy but when it comes to this programme, he's got it right. Showing the heart and soul of the farming world, the community, the animals, the care and the …

I continue to find the post-Top Gear careers of the three hosts fascinating, particularly as they diverge more and more into distinct personalities and making their hobbies their jobs. At the moment, James May is winning the battle for best-of-the-three for me, and not just because he makes very good gin. There was an interview in The Times with him recently, on the subject of the future of pubs, but …

I was in two minds about watching the second series of Clarkson’s Farm. Some of the recent comments by the eponymous presenter are no good at all and he never really seems to show any motivation to think about what he’s said or change his ways. However, this show is one of the only ones out there that’s really managing to highlight how difficult farming is at the moment, in …

I've written about previously stumbling on Richard Hammond's Workshop, the Discovery+ programme that follows Mr Hammond trying to get his new classic car restoration business off the ground. A second series just finished in December, and I enjoyed the second just as much as the first, although found it just as frustrating. Hammond still likes to throw money at a problem before actually sitting and thinking about the consequences but …

I’ve been meaning to write about my growing gin obsession for a while now but realising it’s World Gin Day today kicked me into gear. I always liked the odd gin here and there but recently it’s become my tipple of choice. Partly that’s because I wasn’t enjoying the hangovers that wine left me with, whilst gin doesn’t have the same effect, and partly it’s because the word got out …

Since The Grand Tour became more of An Occasional Jaunt, the three presenters have been trying their hand at other things, usually turning their hobbies into business ventures. James May learned to cook and bought a pub, Jeremy Clarkson got into farming in a big (tractor) way, and Richard Hammond ploughed all his time and money into a classic car restoration business. All of them have made TV shows along …

I missed this when it came out last year, but James May’s adventures around Japan are an absolute must watch. Apparently this show was pitched to the BBC originally but they never made it, leaving Amazon to pick up the tab for a six-episode stint around the many islands of Japan. James May makes a brilliant host for this show, the premise being that he loves Japan but has never …

You’ll have seen, no doubt, the recent news that a fresh batch of Top Gear hosts have been announced. If I’m honest, I had forgotten that Matt Le Blanc was leaving and when I saw the new names, that wave of disappointment hit me all over again. The last series of Top Gear wasn’t perfect but it was good and entertaining and had a spark of what made Top Gear …

Earlier this year, I wrote about the return of Top Gear - the new and not-so-improved version with Chris Evans and Matt Le Blanc. My basic conclusion of that show was that it didn’t have enough new things to make it worthy of the revamp name. I was keen to see what the Clarkson, Hammond and May trio would do in their Amazon Prime odyssey, and six episodes in, I …

Top Gear returned on Sunday, with the first episode presented by the new line-up airing over the bank holiday weekend. I've been waiting with anticipation for this moment, along with the debut of the Clarkson/May/Hammond Amazon adventure as well. Top Gear in its previous guise was brilliant but it was never quite clear if it was the format of the show that made it great (gorgeous HD photography, fun stunts …