Who is Francis Bourgeois and when will the YouTube star present The Grand Tour with Thomas Holland and James Engelsman?

Scottish Sun

a day ago

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FRANCIS Bourgeois is an influencer known for his trainspotting videos.
The locomotive enthusiast and fashion icon is joining the new cast of Amazon Prime's The Grand Tour.
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Francis Bourgeois is known for his adorable Instagram videos
Credit: Getty Images
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Francis and James Englesman will be presenting The Grand Tour
Credit: Instagram
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Thomas Holland will be joining the pair on the show
Credit: Instagram
A fascination with trains
Born on July 9, 2000, in north-west London, Francis had a love of trains from a young age.
He revealed in an interview that he would often go to Willesdon Junction train station as a child to watch the trains pass by.
Then, he would return home and draw pictures of the vehicles from memory.
He explained: 'I was just fixated by these big machines.
'Ever since, I've had a passion for trains, cars, planes.'
However, he was bullied terribly at school for his hobby which prompted him to sell his huge collection of train sets.
Eventually, he decided to chase his dreams and went on to study engineering at the University of Nottingham.
Finding fame
The star rocketed to fame in 2021 when he started sharing videos about trains.
They featured a distinctive style, with Francis attaching a fish-eye lens to his head.
Within months, he went viral and built a fanbase of over 2.5 million followers as of May 2025.
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Opening up about why he shared his now famous videos, he said: 'I love to show how awesome trains can be as well as trying to make you smile, laugh and just try and bring joy.
'I want to contribute my passion for trains and also engineering to make the railway network a better place for everyone.'
The influencer started partnering with iconic fashion brands, including Gucci, which include train imagery in his photoshoots.
Joining the Grand Tour
Francis will be presenting the brand new series of The Grand Tour with two other famous influencers.
He will be joined by Thomas Holland and James Engelsman, who both run the Throttle House channel on YouTube.
The trio will be replacing James May, Richard Hammond and Jeremy Clarkson who left the show after a special episode named The Not Very Grand Tour.
The BBC have not yet confirmed when the new series will launch.