James May

James Daniel May(born 16 January 1963)is an English television presenter and journalist. He is best known as a co-presenter, alongsideJeremy ClarksonandRichard Hammond, of the motoring programmeTop Gearfrom 2003 until 2015 and the television seriesThe Grand TourforAmazon Prime Videofrom 2016 to 2024. He also served as a director of the production company W. Chump & Sons.
May has presented other programmes on themes including travel, science & technology, toys, wine culture, and the plight ofmanlinessin modern times. He wrote a weekly column forThe Daily Telegraph's motoring section from 2003 to 2011.
James Daniel May was born inBristol, the son ofaluminiumfactory manager James May and his wife Kathleen. He was one of four children; he has two sisters and a brother.May attendedCaerleon Endowed SchoolinNewport, Wales. He spent his teenage years inSouth Yorkshirewhere he attendedOakwood Comprehensive SchoolinRotherhamand was a choirboy atWhistonParish Church.
May studied music atPendle College,Lancaster University, where he learned to play the flute and piano; he also spent a year studying metalwork at a technical college.After graduating, May briefly worked at a hospital inChelseaas a records officer and had a short stint inthe civil servicebefore taking up journalism and broadcasting in his thirties.He also held a part-time job as amoulderat the foundry his father was employed at and suggested in a 2017 interview withThe Timesthat this formed his interest in mechanics.
During the early 1980s, May worked as asub-editorforThe Engineerand laterAutocarmagazine, from which he was dismissed for performing a prank.He has since written for several publications, including the regular columnEngland Made MeinCar Magazine, articles forTop Gearmagazine, and a weekly column inThe Daily Telegraph.
He has written the bookMay on Motors(2006), which is a collection of his published articles, and co-authoredOz and James's Big Wine Adventure(2006), based on the TV series of the same name. He wrote the afterword toLong Lane with Turnings, published in September 2006, the final book by motoring writerL. J. K. Setright. In the same month, he co-presented a tribute toRaymond Baxter.Notes From The Hard ShoulderandJames May's 20th Century, a book to accompany the television series of the same name, were published in 2007.
In an interview withRichard AllinsononBBC Radio 2,May confessed that in 1992 he was dismissed fromAutocarmagazine after putting together anacrosticin one issue. At the end of the year, the magazine's "Road Test Yearbook" supplement was published. Each spread featured four reviews and each review started with a large red letter (known intypographyas aninitialor adrop cap). May's role was to put the entire supplement together.
To alleviate the tedium, May wrote each review such that the initials on the first four spreads read "ROAD", "TEST", "YEAR" and "BOOK". Subsequent spreads seemingly had random letters, starting with "SOYO" and "UTHI"; when punctuated, these letters spelt out the message: "So you think it's really good, yeah? You should try making the bloody thing up; it's a real pain in the arse."
In a 2019 interview with Carscoops.com, May stated that while the hidden message originally passed through the magazine's pre-printing review processes unnoticed, he was found out when readers began calling in toAutocar's offices, thinking there might be a prize involved. Upon learning of this, the magazine's management called for May to be fired.
His past television credits include presentingDrivenonChannel 4in 1998, narrating an eight-partBBC Oneseries calledRoad Rage School,and co-hosting theITV1coverage of the2006London Boat Show.He also wrote and presented a Christmas special calledJames May's Top Toys(for BBC One).James May: My Sisters' Top Toysattempted to investigate the gender divide of toy appeal.In series 3, episode 3ofGordon Ramsay'sThe F Word, May managed to beat Ramsay in eatingbullpenis androtten sharkand with hisfish pierecipe.
May was briefly a co-presenter of the originalTop Gearseries in 1999. During an interview in 2020, Jeremy Clarkson claimed that the show's original producers had decided to replace him with May in 1999, though they felt dissatisfied with May as he was soon fired in 2000, shortly before the entire program was cancelled the following year.Following the first season of the show's relaunch in 2002, Clarkson managed to convince Andrew Wilman to rehire him asJason Dawe'sreplacement.He first co-presented the revived series ofTop Gearin its second series in 2003,where he earned the nickname "Captain Slow" owing to his careful driving style, and hisOCD-like obsessions with order.Despite this sobriquet, he has done some especially high-speed driving – inthe 2007 series, he took aBugatti Veyronto its top speed of 253 mph (407 km/h), thenin 2010he achieved 259.11 mph (417 km/h) in the Veyron's newer 16.4 Super Sport edition.In an earlier episode he also tested the original version of the Bugatti Veyron against thePagani Zonda F.
May, along with co-presenterJeremy Clarksonand an Icelandic support crew, travelled by car to themagnetic North Polein 2007, using a modifiedToyota Hilux.In the words of Clarkson, he was the first person to go there "who didn't want to be there". He also drove a modified Toyota Hilux up the side of the erupting volcanoEyjafjallajökull.
Following the BBC's decision not to renewJeremy Clarkson's contract with the show on 25 March 2015,May stated in April 2015 that he would not continue to presentTop Gearas part of a new line-up of presenters.
May presentedInside Killer Sharks, a documentary forSky, andJames May's 20th Century, investigating inventions.He flew in aRoyal Air ForceEurofighter Typhoonat a speed of around 1320 mph (2124 km/h) for his television programme,James May's 20th Century. In late 2008, the BBC broadcastJames May's Big Ideas, a three-part series in which May travelled around the globe in search of implementations for concepts widely considered science fiction.He also presentedJames May's Man Labfrom 2010–2013. In 2013, May narratedTo Space & Back, a documentary on the influence of developments in space exploration on modern technology produced by Sky-Skan andThe Franklin Institute.
James May on the Moon(BBC 2, 2009) commemorated 40 years since man first landed on the Moon.This was followed by another documentary onBBC FourcalledJames May at the Edge of Space, where May was flown to the stratosphere (70,000 ft) in aUS Air ForceLockheed U-2spy plane. Highlights of the footage from the training for the flight, and the flight itself was used inJames May on the Moon, but was shown fully in this programme.This made him one of the highest flying people, along with the pilot, at that time, after the crew of theInternational Space Station.
Beginning in October 2009, May presented a six-part TV series showing favourite toys of the past era and whether they can be applied in the modern-day. The toys featured wereAirfix,Plasticine,Meccano,Scalextric,LegoandHornby. In each show, May attempts to take each toy to its limits, also fulfilling several of his boyhood dreams in the process. In August 2009, May built a full-sized house out of Lego atDenbies Wine Estatein Surrey.Plans for Legoland to move it to their theme park fell through in September 2009 because costs to deconstruct, move and then rebuild were too high;despite a final Facebook appeal for someone to take it, it was demolished on 22 September, with the plastic bricks planned to be donated to charity.
Also for the series, he recreated the banked track atBrooklandsusing Scalextric track,and an attempt at the world's longest working model railway along theTarka TrailbetweenBarnstapleandBidefordin North Devon, although the attempt was foiled due to parts of the track being stolen and vandals placing coins on the track, causing a short circuit.Later, in 2011, May tried for the record again, proposing a race between German model railroad enthusiasts and their British counterparts. The two teams would start at opposite ends along double tracked mainline. This time, the effort succeeded with both teams successfully running three trains the entire route.
A special Christmas Episode calledFlight Club, aired in December 2012. In this special, James and his team built a huge toy glider that flew 22 miles (35 km) from Devon to the island ofLundy.
In 2013, May created a life-size, fully functional motorcycle and sidecar made entirely out of the construction toyMeccano. Joined byOz Clarke, he then completed a full lap of theIsle of Man TT Course, a full37+3⁄4mile-long circuit.
In late 2006, the BBC broadcastOz and James's Big Wine Adventure, a series in which May, a committedbitterdrinker, travelled around France with wine expertOz Clarke.A second series was broadcast in late 2007, this time with May and Clarke in the Californian wine country,and was followed by a third series in 2009 calledOz and James Drink to Britain.
In January 2020, May hosted a travel documentary namedJames May: Our Man in Japan, the 6-episode series was released onAmazon Prime Videoand follows May's journey from the north end ofJapanto its south. Over the course of three months, May explores and participate in many activities to truly understand the country which has intrigued him for a long time.During the trip through major cities likeTokyoandKyoto, he is accompanied by a cast of different guides and translators.
A second series,James May: Our Man in Italy, is a travel documentary with May on a journey throughout the regions of Italy from Palermo to the Dolomites on a trip exploring the culture, food, and more.
A third series,James May: Our Man in India, is another travel documentary with James May on a journey throughout the country of India.In October 2024, May confirmed the series was cancelled.
May created Head Squeeze(now renamed "BBC Earth Lab"; May no longer features as a presenter). The channel is a mix of science, technology, history and current affairs. The first video was published in December 2012. Videos are produced by 360 ProductionforBBC Worldwide.
May created his own YouTube channel, titled "JM's Unemployment Tube", in 2015 afterTop Gearwas postponed by the BBC following Jeremy Clarkson's dismissal. Mainly featuring cooking videos filmed from his kitchen, as well as mock builds of Airfix models, the channel has over 230,000 subscribers as of March 2021.
In 2016, May launched, with his former Top Gear presenters, asocial networkfor motoring fans calledDriveTribe.
In 2019, May moved on to created videos on a Drivetribe spin-off brand Foodtribe (replacing JM's Unemployment Tube) frequently using a small,bedsit-like kitchen setup called "The Bug-out Bunker".The channel has since been rebranded as "What Next?"
May became anInternet memewhen one of his Foodtribe videos went viral. In it, while preparing to make two cheese sandwiches, May bluntly uttered the word "cheese" after placing a block ofRed Leicesteron a table.The quote went viral, and was used in various memes and image macros.
May lives inHammersmith, West London, with art critic Sarah Frater, with whom he has been in a relationship since 2000.In July 2010, May was awarded an honorary doctorate byLancaster University, where he had previously studied music.He holds aDoctor of Lettersdegree.
In August 2014, May was one of 200 public figures who were signatories to a letter toThe Guardianexpressing their hope that Scotland would vote againstindependencefrom the United Kingdom in September'sreferendum on that issue.
In June 2016, he supportedRemainin theEU referendum.May has described his political leanings as "liberal".
In 2020, May bought half the ownership of a pub inSwallowcliffe, Wiltshire, called The Royal Oak,which dates from the early 18th century and is a Grade IIlisted building.
May has owned many cars. These include a 2005Saab 9-5 Aero,Bentley T2,Rolls-Royce Phantom,Triumph 2000,Rover P6,Alfa Romeo 164, 1971Rolls-Royce Corniche,Triumph Vitesse,Jaguar XJS, 1992Range Rover ClassicVogue,Datsun 120Y,Vauxhall Cavalier Mk1, aFerrari 308 GTB, a 2015Toyota Mirai, a 2021Toyota Mirai,Ferrari F430,Ferrari 458 Italia, 1984Porsche 911 Turbo, a 2019Tesla Model S 100D,a 2016BMW i3, and a 2005Porsche Boxster S(which he claims is the first car he has ever purchased new).
May currently owns a 2010Porsche 911 Carrera S facelift, a 2018Alpine A110, aFiat Panda, aVolkswagen Polo, aTesla Model 3 Highland, a prototype 1989 RoverMini CooperRSP,"a couple of Land Rovers", aTriumph Stag, a 2015Ferrari 458 Specialewhich he ordered following his exit fromTop Gearand theVW Beach Buggyused inThe Grand TourSpecial "The Beach Buggy Boys".He often uses aBrompton folding bicyclefor commuting.He passed his driving test on his second attempt and justified this by saying "All the best people pass the second time".
May obtained alight aircraft pilot's licencein October 2006, having trained atWhite Waltham Airfield. He has owned aLuscombe 8A Silvaire, aCessna A185E Skywagon,and anAmerican Champion 8KCAB Super Decathlonwith registration G-OCOK, which serves as a reference to a common phrase attributed to him.