Latest news with #ThomasHolland
Scottish Sun
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Scottish Sun
Who is Francis Bourgeois and when will the YouTube star present The Grand Tour with Thomas Holland and James Engelsman?
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) 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. Sign up for the Entertainment newsletter Sign up 3 Francis Bourgeois is known for his adorable Instagram videos Credit: Getty Images 3 Francis and James Englesman will be presenting The Grand Tour Credit: Instagram 3 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. James May issues brutal response to working with Jeremy Clarkson and Richard Hammond again after Grand Tour stars split 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.
The Sun
3 days ago
- Automotive
- The Sun
Who is James Engelsman and when will the YouTube star present The Grand Tour with Thomas Holland and Francis Bourgeois?
JAMES Engelsman is a famous influencer known for his love of cars. The superstar will be presenting the latest series of Amazon's Grand Tour, alongside Thomas Holland and Francis Bourgeois. 3 3 Becoming an influencer James Engelsman is a co-host of the popular YouTube channel Throttle House. He joined the channel three years after it was launched by Thomas in 2015. The pair have racked up 3.2 million followers (as of May 2025) through their in-depth car reviews and track tests. On the channel, they often show off luxury vehicles, including a stunning Rolls-Royce Cullinan Series II and a 2025 Lucid Air Sapphire. Joining the Grand Tour James will be presenting the next series of The Grand Tour alongside his Throttle House co-presenter Thomas and Francis Bourgeois. The series will see them trying out the latest cars and taking on the incredible challenges that made the show famous. James May, Richard Hammond, and Jeremy Clarkson were the show's original presenters after launching it in 2016. The trio became famous for presenting the BBC's Top Gear, before moving over to the Amazon series. After decades of working together, they have decided to go their separate ways but did return for one final Grand Tour episode. Entitled The Not Very Grand Tour, the episode saw the trio looking back on their incredible career. James and Thomas have been described as a 'younger' and 'cooler' set of presenters and will be joined by Francis Bourgeois. A trainspotting superstar Francis Bourgeois is a famous trainspotter who first found fame in 2021. The star's videos often saw him at major stations, using a fish-eye lens to spot his favourite trains. His videos were so popular that he landed campaigns with luxury brands including Italian fashion house Gucci. Ahead of his appearance on the show, a source said: 'Francis is a big noise online and Amazon producers are hoping to bring him into the mainstream. 'He is loved by everyone - from royals to rappers - and is sure to be a hit with Grand Tour viewers. 'Francis is not just a social media sensation but trained as a mechanical engineer so knows his stuff.'
The Independent
3 days ago
- Automotive
- The Independent
What to know about The Grand Tour's new line-up
The Grand Tour is being rebooted with a new team of younger hosts following the departure of Jeremy Clarkson, James May, and Richard Hammond. The new hosts are reportedly YouTubers Thomas Holland and James Engelsman - the pair behind the Throttle House channel. Social media star Francis Bourgeois will reportedly complete the line up. Throttle House, known for car reviews, has over 3.2 million YouTube subscribers. Bourgeois gained fame for his trainspotting videos. The original trio's production company, W Chump & Sons, has reportedly been dissolved.
The Sun
3 days ago
- Automotive
- The Sun
Who is Thomas Holland and when will the YouTube star present The Grand Tour with James Engelsman and Francis Bourgeois?
THOMAS Holland is a motoring influencer whose videos have racked up millions of views on YouTube. The star will be presenting the new series of The Grand Tour alongside his friend James Engelsman and trainspotter Francis Bourgeois. 3 3 Motoring sensation Thomas co-hosts the popular YouTube channel "Throttle House," which has amassed millions of subscribers and a global fanbase. As of May 2025, the pair have a staggering 3.2 million followers. Alongside his co-host James Engelsman, he records videos critiquing luxury cars and taking on incredible challenges. One of their most popular challenges sees them driving a luxury vehicle for over 500 miles. So far, they have completed the challenge in a Lamborghini Revuelto and a Tesla Cybertruck. Their videos are immensely popular and regularly rack up millions of views. Joining the Grand Tour Thomas and James will be presenting the latest iteration of The Grand Tour. The Amazon Prime series was previously presented by Jeremy Clarkson Richard Hammond, and James May. The trio have formally dissolved their partnership after working together for decades. They rocketed to fame with Top Gear, before starting The Grand Tour together in 2016. Thomas and James will present the show with Francis Bourgeois. Amazon has not confirmed when the new series will kick off. Working with Francis Francis Bourgeois became a social media sensation with his now-iconic trainspotting videos. Born Luke Magnus Nicolson, his videos were immensely popular during 2021 - towards the end of the Covid pandemic. His videos often see him using a fisheye lens, giving them a unique look which has been referenced in his campaigns with Gucci and ASOS. The star has already hosted Channel 4's Trainspotting with Francis Bourgeois and has written The Trainspotter's Notebook.
Daily Mail
4 days ago
- Automotive
- Daily Mail
The Grand Tour's new 'younger and cooler' line-up 'revealed' including huge social media star - following the departures of Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond and James May
The brand new presenting line-up for The Grand Tour has reportedly been revealed, following the departures of original hosts Jeremy Clarkson, James May and Richard Hammond. It is said that Prime Video bosses have drafted in YouTubers Thomas Holland and James Engelsman to front the popular motoring show, in addition to social media star Francis Bourgeois. Petrol heads Thomas and James host their own YouTube show Throttle House, in which they and test and review cars, which impressively boasts over 3.2 million subscribers. While Francis, real name Luke Magnus Nicolson, is best known for his love of trainspotting and counts the Prince and Princess of Wales and Stormzy as fans. A source told The Sun: 'Thomas and James are as knowledgeable about motors as Jeremy, Richard and James - the only difference is they're younger, cooler and a lot more social media savvy. Francis became famous for his love of trainspotting and will be bringing his humour to the show.' From A-list scandals and red carpet mishaps to exclusive pictures and viral moments, subscribe to the Daily Mail's new showbiz newsletter to stay in the loop. MailOnline have contacted Prime Video for comment. Canadian biology graduate Thomas initially launched his YouTube channel in 2015 'out of boredom'. He was joined three years later by fan James who had reached out to him asking to be part of the show. They had first met in person at a gathering of Miata car owners. Meanwhile, since his first TikTok clip, back in February 2021, Francis has risen to social media superstardom. After soaring to fame thanks to his eccentric and loveable trainspotting videos, Francis has gone on to interview stars including Louis Theroux, Craig David, Sheridan Smith and Tom Daley. He now commands a following of millions, with his TikTok account boasting more than 3.3million fans, while his Instagram has 2.4million. Previously speaking about his hobby during an interview with This Morning, he said: 'I was just fixated by these big machines. 'Ever since, I've had a passion for trains, cars, planes.' In 2023 Francis was joined by his most royal fans, the Prince and Princess of Wales as they brushed shoulders with the internet royalty during a hilarious video. Jeremy, 64, Richard, 55, and James, 62, bowed out of The Grand Tour in September last year. The original series followed the trio on a worldwide mission to meet different car manufacturers and had been on air since 2016, following their departure from Top Gear two years earlier. Their exit marked an emotional end of an era for the trio, who first started working together on Top Gear more than two decades ago. Since then, the trio have featured in Amazon Prime Video's The Not Very Grand Tour which aired its first episode on April 18 earlier this year. While Jeremy returned to the world of motoring TV after filming an episode of Car SOS. Jeremy's appearance on the motoring show came just months after the final episode of The Grand Tour aired in September. Meanwhile, Richard and James reminisced on their time on Top Gear as they took a 'traumatising' visit to their old studio - ten years on from their final show. In a video released on Wednesday, for James May's YouTube series, Planet Gin, the duo decided to revisit the office for 'reasons unknown.' James began: 'Well that is the old Top Gear studio. And that is the old Top Gear green room.' Walking a round the complex they pushed open the door to one of the abandoned trailers and reminisced on their days on set. Richard said: 'It smells the same, terrible. It's weird it seems like only yesterday but also 100 years ago. 'This is where we assembled, worked on scripts, had arguments. I feel funny. I feel funny as well. I felt really odd being here. Every week we would come here for years and years and years.' James: 'The smell of it is almost traumatising... do you think if I opened this door we'd slip through a portal and be back in 2000 and whatever it was? 'I sort of want to find something that we left here.' Richard joked: 'What like? Hope, ambition, vigour?' 'I was in the bronze Land Rover. And I sat up and thought, well, that was that.'
