Jeremy Clarkson confirms 'The Grand Tour' delays due to coronavirus

LONDON, ENGLAND - JANUARY 15: (L-R) Richard Hammond, Jeremy Clarkson and James May attend a screening of 'The Grand Tour' season 3 held at The Brewery on January 15, 2019 in London, England. (Photo by Jeff Spicer/WireImage)
(L-R) Richard Hammond, Jeremy Clarkson and James May attend a screening of 'The Grand Tour' season 3 held at The Brewery on January 15, 2019 in London, England. (Photo by Jeff Spicer/WireImage)

The coronavirus outbreak is having all sorts far-flung implications, a recent one of which would appear to be a delay to the next instalment Jeremy Clarkson’s The Grand Tour.

The latest instalments of the Amazon Prime project sees Clarkson and fellow former Top Gear pals Richard Hammond and James May undertake a series of road trips across the globe.

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After running for three series since beginning in 2016, following a tried and tested format similar to Top Gear, the show tried a more alternative way of running for the fourth series, with longer, feature length specials with staggered releases at intermittent periods.

However, because of the nature of this style, it has been affected by issues such as the coronavirus, with Clarkson saying it is making international travel “difficult”.

With greater measures being implemented in an attempt to slow down the spread of the potentially deadly virus, it would appear the The Grand Tour has been impacted by the restraints.

One fan tweeted Clarkson to show his impatience at the lack of an upcoming episode, writing: “Starting to think Amazon Prime isn’t worth having without The Grand Tour.”

The 59-year-old replied: “We have one pretty much ready to go and when this virus business is settled, we will head off to do two more.”

Not satisfied with the response, fans started berating the star demanding answers, which lead to Clarkson, who is known for not suffering fools gladly, hitting back: “Maybe you haven’t heard. There’s a virus you see and it’s making international travel tricky.”

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While The Grand Tour has generally been well received, BBC’s Top Gear, which Clarkson, May and Hammond left back in 2015, has had a rocky fews years in terms of ratings and critical response.

However, the show seems to have hit a winning formula recently, with Paddy McGuinness, Chris Harris and Andrew Flintoff currently in the driving seat.

Hammond himself even gave the show his own seal of approval, saying the current presenters “have good chemistry”.