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Top Gear stars Richard Hammond and James May made a ‘weird’ pilgrimage to the BBC’s show’s former headquarters.
The duo said they had not visited Dunsfold Aerodrome since they exited the programme in 2015 when co-host Jeremy Clarkson, 64, was fired after punching producer Oisin Tymon.
Both Richard, 55, and James, 62, said they felt ‘funny’ returning to their former offices as they documented the visit on James’s YouTube channel, Planet Gin.
As they stood outside their former green room, Richard admitted: ‘I feel really odd being here.’
He continued: ‘The last time I was here, I was leaving after the last studio record. I was in the bronze Land Rover. And I sat up and thought, well, that was that.’
Before entering their ex-production offices, Richard warned James it could be ‘weird.’
Agreeing, James stated: ‘It is going to be weird. It might be a bit traumatising.’
Once inside, Richard and James had a hunt for any Top Gear relics, joking they had left their ‘youth, vigour and energy’ in the building.
On YouTube, viewers were hit with a wave of nostalgia, including @jebdunkins6796, who wrote: ‘That was emotional. Both for James & Richard and for us. I’m sure I’m not the only one when I say that Top Gear wasn’t just a TV show, it was an integral part of my childhood.’
Echoing their sentiment, @TheColasaufer said: ‘The editing is perfect for this one, the absence of music and the subtle flashback type inserts really sell the emotional weight, sense of nostalgia and memories rich and james probably felt on that day.’
@darkmatter2211 shared: ‘I miss you guys on TV so much. No matter how cruddy life was, I was guaranteed an hour of genuine happiness.’
@DanielWright-np3fq added: ‘I’m not trying to be maudlin, but this is like watching two old soldiers returning to an old battlefield. We were there with them when they were younger and full of their power. The best of times. Edited to add: just rewatched it again and I want to both cry a little and stand up and cheer for The Lads. Well done, gentlemen. All of you.’
Richard, James and Jeremy presented Top Gear for more than a decade from 2003 until 2015 when they moved to The Grand Tour on Amazon Prime.
On Top Gear, they were replaced by Chris Evans and Matt LeBlanc before Chris Harris, Freddie Flintoff and Paddy McGuinness became the presenters in a shake-up.
However, Top Gear has since been taken off air for the foreseeable future after Freddie was airlifted to hospital after a horror crash and said to be ‘lucky to be alive’.
The pro cricket player suffered from life-changing severe facial injuries and broken ribs, and had been driving an open-topped car at a reportedly high speed of 130mph when it flipped and slid along the track.
The Grand Tour also ended last year – but James said he thinks the time is right for a brand new motoring show with fresh talent because he, Jeremy and Richard are ‘too old’.
He did however offer some hope about reuniting as a trio on another project, elsewhere saying: ‘I wouldn’t rule it out, but you do have to bear in mind that we’re all getting on a bit.’
Top Gear is available to stream on BBC iPlayer.
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