Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond and James May have thanked their now-sobbing fans for their support as they signed off The Grand Tour in their ‘favourite place in the world’.
In the final two-hour instalment, they travel to Zimbabwe where they explore challenging landscapes in cars the three men have always wanted, a Lancia Montecarlo, a Ford Capri 3-litre, and a Triumph Stag.
Fans were in bits at the final 10 minutes in particular, as they flooded Reddit and social media to give their warm farewells to the trio.
‘Honestly props to the editing team. I went from spontaneous crying to cackling multiple times. Ended with a good sob,’ wrote Good-Sheepherder-364 on Reddit.
‘The last 10 minutes of the show were REALLY REALLY hard,’ added AnnoyingScreeches.
‘I sobbed the last 10 minutes as well!’ echoed Hero_For_a_Day2, adding: ‘There were multiple parts that I could feel the tears coming but I just forced them back down. Those last 10 minutes though it was like a tap was turned on!’
They continued: ‘As soon as it ended I went and started watching some old stuff with them. They have always been comfort for me. Depression, anxiety, you name it, they’ve been there to get me through. We are in this together! They will be missed!’
Others said the end of the motoring union marks a departure from their childhood and teenage years.
‘We’ve raised our kids watching Top Gear and the Grand Tour. Our daughter looked at us last night and said “I feel like I just lost part of my childhood.” And husband and I both had tears in our eyes,’ shared RealisticEscape9569.
Another emotional viewer Haylz2709 said: ‘I literally just cried my eyes out. Those 3 were my childhood and teenage years, forever grateful.’
The trio chose not to end their time on the road in Zimbabwe, but to return to Kubu Island in Botswana which featured in their Top Gear special back in 2007.
In the final episode after travelling through Zimbabwe, Clarkson says: ‘We were now on our final drive together heading to our favourite place in the world.’
He adds: ‘We’ve travelled thousands and thousands and thousands of miles and had thousands and thousands and thousands of adventures.
‘And we’re going to end up right where we started.’
It cuts to Hammond driving along, who says: ‘Never thought that what we do together would go on as it has.
‘I was excited when I got the job way back, very excited.
‘But I never dreamed it would grow into a career and life-defining adventure.
‘And occasionally, nearly career and life-ending adventure.
‘I can’t pretend it isn’t going to be a wrench ending this, because it is.’
The TV star was in a serious accident in 2006 on Top Gear when he crashed a jet-powered dragster at nearly 320mph which left him in a coma for two weeks and with serious head injuries.
The video then shifts to May, who reflected on how they have worked together for 22 years, since their edition of the hit motoring show Top Gear launched in 2002.
He says: ’22 years – more than a third of my life, this is going to hit me in quite small ways,’ before adding: ‘I hope we brought you a little bit of happiness.’
The trio have presented the Amazon Prime Video show The Grand Tour since 2016 after leaving the BBC’s motoring programme Top Gear.
On their drive to the island, they discover the cars they drove during the 2007 special lying on the side of the road, which makes Clarkson choke up.
As they approach their final stop, Clarkson says: ‘It just remains for me to say thank you very much for watching. Thank you It means a lot.’
The poignant ending sees them return to the tree which featured in their special as they recreate the same scenes 17 years on, with Hammond touching the tree and looking up to the sky after they scaled some rocks together to get there.
The trio signed off from the programme by looking out across the landscape, with the image briefly cutting to a near-identical shot from their younger years.
Clarkson sighs before turning off his microphone while Hammond says ‘That’s it’ before they all shake hands and applaud their crew.
In their final scene, they drive off into the sunset together before their paths diverge as My Sweet Lord by Beatles star George Harrison plays in the background.
The credits also feature a selection of images from across their time filming while voiceover clips from the previous adventures together play out.
Clarkson revealed on Instagram that he was hosting a watch party of the final episode on Friday at his new pub in Oxfordshire to mark the moment.
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