James May

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For other people named James May, see James May (disambiguation).

James May
May in 2007
Born
James Daniel May

(1963-01-16) 16 January 1963 (age 61)
Bristol, England
Alma materLancaster University
Occupation(s)Television presenter, author, columnist, journalist
Years active1980 (1980)s–present
Employer
Known for
Height6 ft (1.83 m)
PartnerSarah Frater (2000–present)

James Daniel May (born 16 January 1963)[1] is an English television presenter and journalist. He is best known as a co-presenter, alongside Jeremy Clarkson and Richard Hammond, of the motoring programme Top Gear from 2003 until 2015 and the television series The Grand Tour for Amazon Prime Video from 2016 to 2024. He also served as a director of the production company W. Chump & Sons, which has since ceased operating.[citation needed]

May has presented other programmes on themes including science and technology, toys, wine culture, and the plight of

manliness in modern times. He wrote a weekly column for The Daily Telegraph
's motoring section from 2003 to 2011.

Early life

James Daniel May was born in

Oakwood Comprehensive School in Rotherham and was a choirboy at Whiston Parish Church.[3]

May studied music at

moulder at the foundry his father was employed at and suggested in a 2017 interview with The Times that this formed his interest in mechanics.[8]

Journalism career

During the early 1980s, May worked as a

Car Magazine, articles for Top Gear
magazine, and a weekly column in The Daily Telegraph.

He has written the book May on Motors (2006), which is a collection of his published articles, and co-authored Oz and James's Big Wine Adventure (2006), based on the TV series of the same name. He wrote the afterword to Long Lane with Turnings, published in September 2006, the final book by motoring writer L. J. K. Setright. In the same month, he co-presented a tribute to Raymond Baxter. Notes From The Hard Shoulder and James May's 20th Century, a book to accompany the television series of the same name, were published in 2007.

Dismissal from Autocar

James May's hidden message

In an interview with

drop 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."[11]

In a 2019 interview with Carscoops.com, May stated that while the hidden message originally passed through the magazines' pre-printing review processes unnoticed, he was found out when readers began calling in to Autocar's offices, thinking there might be a prize involved. Upon learning of this, the magazine's management called for May to be fired.[12]

Television career

His past television credits include presenting Driven on Channel 4 in 1998, narrating an eight-part BBC One series called Road Rage School,[13] and co-hosting the ITV1 coverage of the 2006 London Boat Show.[14] He also wrote and presented a Christmas special called James May's Top Toys (for BBC One). James May: My Sisters' Top Toys attempted to investigate the gender divide of toy appeal.[15] In series 3, episode 3[16] of Gordon Ramsay's The F Word, May managed to beat Ramsay in eating bull penis and rotten shark and with his fish pie recipe.[17][18]

Top Gear

Main article: Top Gear (2002 TV series)
BBC Top Gear presenting team of Richard Hammond, James May and Jeremy Clarkson, 2009

May was briefly a co-presenter of the original

Pagani Zonda F
.

May, along with co-presenter

magnetic North Pole in 2007, using a modified Toyota Hilux.[24][25] 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 volcano Eyjafjallajökull.[26]

Following the BBC's decision not to renew Jeremy Clarkson's contract with the show on 25 March 2015,[27] May stated in April 2015 that he would not continue to present Top Gear as part of a new line-up of presenters.[28]

Science

May presented Inside Killer Sharks, a documentary for

The Franklin Institute.[31]

James May on the Moon

Main articles: James May on the Moon and James May at the Edge of Space

James May on the Moon (BBC 2, 2009) commemorated 40 years since man first landed on the Moon.

US Air Force Lockheed U-2 spy plane. Highlights of the footage from the training for the flight, and the flight itself was used in James May on the Moon, but was shown fully in this programme.[33] This made him one of the highest flying people, along with the pilot, at that time, after the crew of the International Space Station.[33]

James May's Toy Stories

Main article: James May's Toy Stories
May in 2009 during filming for James May's Toy Stories

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 were Airfix, Plasticine, Meccano, Scalextric, Lego and Hornby. 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 at Denbies Wine Estate in Surrey.[34] 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;[35] 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.[36]

Also for the series, he recreated the banked track at Brooklands using Scalextric track,[37] and an attempt at the world's longest working model railway along the Tarka Trail between Barnstaple and Bideford in 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.[38] 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.[39]

A special Christmas Episode called Flight 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 of Lundy.[40]

In 2013, May created a life-size, fully functional motorcycle and sidecar made entirely out of the construction toy Meccano. Joined by Oz Clarke, he then completed a full lap of the Isle of Man TT Course, a full 37+3⁄4 mile-long circuit.

Oz and James

Main articles: Oz and James's Big Wine Adventure and Oz and James Drink to Britain

In late 2006, the BBC broadcast Oz and James's Big Wine Adventure, a series in which May, a committed bitter drinker, travelled around France with wine expert Oz Clarke.[41] A second series was broadcast in late 2007, this time with May and Clarke in the Californian wine country,[42] and was followed by a third series in 2009 called Oz and James Drink to Britain.

James May: Our Man in...

Main article: James May: Our Man in...

In January 2020, May hosted a travel documentary named James May: Our Man in Japan, the 6-episode series was released on Amazon Prime Video and follows May's journey from the north end of Japan to 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.[43] During the trip through major cities like Tokyo and Kyoto, 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.[44]

A third series, James May: Our Man in India, is another travel documentary with James May on a journey throughout the country of India.[45]

Internet presence

May in 2010

May created Head Squeeze[46] (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 Production[47] for BBC Worldwide.

May created his own YouTube channel, titled "JM's Unemployment Tube", in 2015 after Top Gear was 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.[48]

In 2016, May launched, with his former Top Gear presenters, a social network for motoring fans called DriveTribe.[49]

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".[50] The channel has since been rebranded as "What Next?"[51]

May became an Internet meme when one of his Foodtribe videos went viral. In it, May makes two cheese sandwiches, during which, May utters the word "cheese".[52] The quote went viral, and was used in various memes and image macros.

Personal life

May lives in

West London, with art critic Sarah Frater, with whom he has been in a relationship since 2000.[53] In July 2010, May was awarded an honorary doctorate by Lancaster University, where he had previously studied music.[54] He holds a Doctor of Letters degree.[55]

In August 2014, May was one of 200 public figures who were signatories to a letter to The Guardian expressing their hope that Scotland would vote against independence from the United Kingdom in September's referendum on that issue.[56]

In June 2016, he supported Remain in the EU referendum.[57] May has described his political leanings as "liberal".[6]

In 2020, May bought half the ownership of a pub in Swallowcliffe, Wiltshire called The Royal Oak,[58] which dates from the early 18th century and is a Grade II listed historic site.[59]

Vehicles

May has owned many cars including a 2005

Porsche Boxster S (which he claims is the first car he has ever purchased new).[60]

May currently owns a 2010

Ferrari 458 Speciale which he ordered following his exit from Top Gear and the VW Beach Buggy used in The Grand Tour Special "The Beach Buggy Boys". He often uses a Brompton folding bicycle for commuting.[63] He passed his driving test on his second attempt and justified this by saying "All the best people pass the second time".[64]

May obtained a light aircraft pilot's licence in October 2006, having trained at White Waltham Airfield. He has owned a Luscombe 8A Silvaire, a Cessna A185E Skywagon,[65] and an American Champion 8KCAB Super Decathlon with registration G-OCOK, which serves as a reference to a common phrase attributed to him.[66]

Filmography

Television

Year Title Role
1998 Driven Presenter
1999 Top Gear (original run)
2003–15, 2021 Top Gear
2005 James May's Top Toys
2006–07 Oz and James's Big Wine Adventure
2007 Top Gear of the Pops
James May's 20th Century
James May: My Sisters' Top Toys
2008 Top Ground Gear Force
James May's Big Ideas
2009 Oz and James Drink to Britain
James May on the Moon
James May at the Edge of Space
2009–14 James May's Toy Stories
2010
Shooting Stars
 Guest
2010–13 James May's Man Lab Presenter
2011–12 James May's Things You Need to Know
2014–16 James May's Cars of the People
2014 Phineas and Ferb Ian
2015 Building Cars Live Presenter
2016–17 James May: The Reassembler[67][68][69]
2016–present The Grand Tour
2019 James May's Big Trouble in Model Britain
Al Murray's Great British Pub Quiz Guest
2020–present James May: Our Man in... Presenter
James May: Oh Cook!
2023 Little Trains & Big Names with Pete Waterman Guest
Yuganayak Swami Vivekananda Professor

DVD

Year Title Label
2006 Oz & James' Big Wine Adventure: Series One Acorn Media
James May's Motormania Car Quiz DMD
2007 James May's 20th Century: The Complete Series ITV
2008 Oz & James' Big Wine Adventure: Series Two Acorn Media
2009 James May's Big Ideas: The Complete Series DMD
James May on the Moon BBC DVD
James May's Amazing Brain Trainer DMD
James May's Toy Stories: The Complete Series Channel 4
Oz and James Drink to Britain Acorn Media
2010 Top Gear: Apocalypse BBC DVD
2011 James May's Man Lab: Series One Acorn Media
Top Gear: At The Movies BBC DVD
2012 James May's Man Lab: Series Two Acorn Media
Top Gear: Worst Car in the History of the World BBC DVD
2013 James May's Man Lab: Series Three Acorn Media
James May's Toy Stories: Balsa Wood Glider/Great Train Race Channel 4
2014 James May's Toy Stories: The Motorcycle Diaries
James May's Toy Stories: Action Man at the Speed of Sound
2016 James May: The Reassembler: Series One Spirit Entertainment Limited
2017 James May: The Reassembler: Series Two

Video games

Year Title Developer Role
2013 Forza Motorsport 5 Turn 10 Studios Voice over
2015 Forza Motorsport 6 Turn 10 Studios
2019 The Grand Tour Game
Amazon Game Studios

Television advertisements

Year Title Role
2010 London Pride Himself
2015 The Tank Museum

Bibliography

Britcar 24 Hour results

Year Team Co-Drivers Car Car No. Class Laps Pos. Class
Pos. 		Ref
2007 United Kingdom Team Top Gear United Kingdom Jeremy Clarkson
United Kingdom "The Stig"
United Kingdom Richard Hammond 		BMW 330d 78 4 396 39th 3rd [70]

References

  1. ^ "My Secret Life: James May, TV presenter, age 45". The Independent. 27 September 2008. Retrieved 16 January 2018.
  2. ^ Philby, Charlotte (27 September 2008). "My Secret Life: James May, TV presenter, age 45". The Independent. Retrieved 20 January 2010.
  3. ^ James May (10 November 2007). "Frocks make a boy a man". The Daily Telegraph. London. Archived from the original on 14 November 2007. Retrieved 31 December 2007.
  4. ^ "Top Gear's James May awarded honorary degree". Telegraph.co.uk. 16 July 2010. Archived from the original on 11 January 2022. Retrieved 13 February 2019.
  5. ^ "James May on Chris Evans, Amazon and life after Top Gear". Radio Times. Archived from the original on 11 May 2019. Retrieved 13 February 2019.
  6. ^ a b Crampton, Robert (10 June 2017). "James May: 'I am more liberal than people think'". The Times. Retrieved 30 July 2021.
  7. ^ Duerden, Nick (15 August 2009). "The mild one: How James May became the most in-demand presenter on British television". The Independent. London. Retrieved 18 August 2009.
  8. ^ Crampton, Robert (10 June 2017). "James May: 'I am more liberal than people think'". The Times. Retrieved 7 January 2023.
  9. ^ Michael Deacon (19 June 2009). "Interview: James May". The Telegraph. Retrieved 12 September 2012.
  10. ^ BBC Radio 2, broadcast 6 January 2006
  11. ^ a b "Captain Slow takes the fast lane – TV & Radio – Entertainment". The Age. Melbourne. 19 June 2008. Retrieved 5 November 2009.
  12. ^ Karkafiris, Michael (15 July 2019). "James May Opens Up About The Time He Got Fired From Autocar". Carscoops.com. Retrieved 23 March 2024.
  13. ^ James May Internet Movie Database
  14. ^ "James May, Top Gear presenter, after-dinner speaker and awards host". Speakers Corner. Retrieved 5 November 2009.
  15. ^ "Two Programmes – James May: My Sister's Top Toys". BBC. Retrieved 5 November 2009.
  16. ^ "Season 3 Episode 3 – Gordon Ramsay's F Word". BBC America. Archived from the original on 17 July 2010. Retrieved 8 February 2010.
  17. ^ "Interview with Gordon Ramsay on the 'F' Word @ Unreality Primetime". Archived from the original on 14 November 2009. Retrieved 9 February 2010. "The worst ever would have to be James May, with his fish pie. Even though he won, which was extraordinary. He was drinking a bottle of red wine throughout the challenge, so I thought it was in the bag."
  18. ^ [1] "This recipe is Gordon's version of a posh fish pie originally made by James May."
  19. ^ "Here's How James May Rose To Petrolhead Royalty". 26 July 2021.
  20. ^ "Jeremy Clarkson on the first time he met Richard Hammond and James May". YouTube.
  21. ^ "Top Gear's James May Shifts His Career Into Overdrive". Fox News. 17 March 2010. Archived from the original on 12 April 2015. Retrieved 5 March 2015.
  22. ^ "Top Gear - Tampons and James May's OCD". YouTube.
  23. ^ "James in the Bugatti Veyron SuperSport". Top Gear. Retrieved 26 November 2011.
  24. ^ "Top Gear's Jeremy Clarkson criticised for glamorising drink driving". The Telegraph. 2 July 2008. Archived from the original on 11 January 2022. Retrieved 31 March 2015.
  25. ^ Williams, David (21 January 2010). "Copy Top Gear's polar trip". The Telegraph. Archived from the original on 11 January 2022. Retrieved 31 March 2015.
  26. ^ "Toyota Hilux taunts Iceland's volcano moments before eruption – Top Gear takes credit". WorldCarFans. 19 April 2010. Retrieved 31 March 2015.
  27. ^ "Jeremy Clarkson dropped from Top Gear, BBC confirms – BBC News". BBC News Online. 25 March 2015. Retrieved 25 March 2015.
  28. ^ "Top Gear: James May rules out returning without Jeremy Clarkson". The Guardian. 23 April 2015. Retrieved 23 April 2015.
  29. ^ "BBC/OU Open2.net – James May's 20th Century". Open2.net. Archived from the original on 21 November 2009. Retrieved 5 November 2009.
  30. ^ "BBC/OU Open2.net – James May's Big Ideas". Open2.net. Retrieved 5 November 2009.
  31. ^ "To Space & Back with James May". fulldomeshows.com. Archived from the original on 28 April 2019. Retrieved 11 March 2015.
  32. ^ "James May on the Moon". BBC. 7 July 2013. Retrieved 2 September 2013.
  33. ^ a b "James May at the Edge of Space". BBC. 8 March 2012. Retrieved 2 September 2013.
  34. ^ "UK | May starts building Lego house". BBC News. 1 August 2009. Retrieved 5 November 2009.
  35. ^ Radio Times 24–30 October 2009
  36. ^ "Entertainment | James May's Lego house demolished". BBC News. 22 September 2009. Retrieved 5 November 2009.
  37. ^ May to attempt Scalextric record, BBC News, 7 August 2009. Retrieved 9 August 2009
  38. ^ "Model train record bid off track". BBC Online. 25 August 2009. Retrieved 29 December 2013.
  39. ^ "The Great Train Race". (Programme listing). BBC. Archived from the original on 10 June 2011. Retrieved 7 June 2011.
  40. ^ "BBC Two James May's Toy Stories: Flight Club". BBC. Retrieved 25 January 2013.
  41. ^ "Food – TV and radio – Episode guide". BBC. Retrieved 5 November 2009.
  42. ^ "Food – TV and Radio". BBC. Retrieved 5 November 2009.
  43. ^ "Watch James May: Our Man In Japan". Amazon. Retrieved 20 January 2020.
  44. ^ "James May: Our Man in Italy". Amazon Studios. Retrieved 18 August 2022.
  45. ^ "Prime Video Confirms Two New Series for James May". Amazon Studios. Retrieved 10 December 2023.
  46. ^ "James May fronts BBC Worldwide's latest original YouTube channel – Head Squeeze". BBC. 31 January 2013. Retrieved 29 April 2013.
  47. ^ "Head Squeeze – YouTube". 360production.com. Archived from the original on 24 February 2014. Retrieved 11 December 2013.
  48. ^ "Top Gear presenter James May posts first video on 'unemployment' YouTube channel". The Independent. Archived from the original on 11 January 2022. Retrieved 18 April 2015.
  49. ^ Butcher, Mike (6 September 2016). "Motoring community DriveTribe secures $6.5M from 21st Century Fox". TechCrunch. Retrieved 25 April 2017.
  50. ^ "James May talks about cheese and eggs on new Foodtrive channel". Auto Revolution. 24 January 2020. Retrieved 13 October 2020.
  51. YouTube
  52. ^ James May finds the ultimate cheese sandwich, retrieved 22 August 2022
  53. ^ "Transmission – BBC Top Gear Video: behind-the-scenes at the first of the new series «". Transmission.blogs.topgear.com. 23 January 2011. Retrieved 26 November 2011.
  54. ^ "Top Gear presenter James May awarded honorary doctorate". BBC. 15 July 2010. Retrieved 3 August 2015.
  55. ^ "James May answers the internet's questions". 12 May 2019. Archived from the original on 12 May 2019. Retrieved 12 May 2019.
  56. ^ "Celebrities' open letter to Scotland – full text and list of signatories". The Guardian. London. 7 August 2014. Retrieved 26 August 2014.
  57. ^ "Jeremy Clarkson tells David Cameron 'my gut says stay in the EU'". The Guardian. 16 June 2016. Retrieved 9 December 2017.
  58. ^ "James May buys 'half' of Royal Oak in Swallowcliffe". BBC News. 19 September 2020.
  59. ^ Historic England. "The Royal Oak, Swallowcliffe (1250756)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 24 May 2015.
  60. ^ May, James (22 October 2005). "As seen on TV: Porsche breaks the spell of perfection". The Daily Telegraph. London. Archived from the original on 12 October 2007. Retrieved 5 November 2009.
  61. ^ "James May reviews his own cars – Tesla Model S vs Toyota Mirai". YouTube. 25 December 2019. Archived from the original on 21 December 2021.
  62. ^ "James May properly drives his new car for the first time". YouTube. 4 July 2021.[dead YouTube link]
  63. ^ "Mine's a pint: a preposterous excuse for a Porsche". The Daily Telegraph. London. 3 February 2006. Archived from the original on 11 January 2022. Retrieved 21 March 2009. James May with his Brompton bike
  64. ^ "Dave: What's on Dave: James May interview". Uktv.co.uk. 29 March 2007. Retrieved 5 November 2009.
  65. ^ "Incident Cessna A185E Skywagon - SE-FMX, 05 April 2014". Aviation Safety Network - Flight Safety Foundation. Retrieved 14 August 2019.
  66. ^ "Aircraft G-OCOK, 1999 American Champion Aircraft 8KCAB C/N 825-99". Airport-data.com. 13 June 2008. Retrieved 2 September 2013.
  67. ^ "Series 1, James May: The Reassembler - BBC Four". BBC. Retrieved 13 February 2019.
  68. ^ "BBC Four - James May: The Reassembler". BBC. Retrieved 13 February 2019.
  69. ^ James May to reassemble Kenwood food mixer in new BBC 'Slow TV' series 6 September 2016
  70. ^ "Britcar 24 Hours – Provisional Result". DailySportsCar. 2007. Retrieved 11 June 2023.

External links

Preceded by Guild of Motoring Writers
Journalist of the Year Award
2000 		Succeeded by
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=James_May&oldid=1219484006"