James May

James May joined Christine Lampard on Lorraine on Friday morning as he ‘hit back’ at being banned from former co-star Jeremy Clarkson’s pub, The Farmer’s Dog

There’s only two people banned from Jeremy Clarkson’s pub, Prime Minister Keir Starmer and his former Top Gear co host, James May.

The ban was announced at the pub’s opening, with May stating it was “like being banned from the golf club”. May himself has his own pub, The Royal Oak pub, which is around the corner from his home in Wiltshire.

Speaking to Christine Lampard on Lorraine, May made it clear he has no problems with being banned, as he issued a savage response back to his former co-star, who he spent 25 years working alongside.

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“Apparently, and I’ve said before it’s a bit like being banned from a golf club, I wasn’t going to go anyway. I’ve got my own pub which is just around the corner, I’m not going to go 75 miles to his. Especially as mine’s better,” he said as Christine burst into laughter.

The petrolheads have always had a friendly rivalry, and it doesn’t seem to have disappeared after the trio went their separate ways.

However, Clarkson shut down any rumours of a serious feud, previously stating: “We’ve spent more time in each other’s company than our families’ over the last 25 years so I don’t think it would have lasted as long as it did if we’d hated each other as much as James likes to think.”

It’s been a year since the trio went their separate ways, with their final episode of The Grand Tour landing on Amazon Prime.

Reflecting on his time with the two, which began on BBC’s Top Gear, May told Christine: “It did occupy 25 years of my life. I worked at that job longer than I’ve worked at any other.

“That’s almost half of my life, over half of my working life doing that. It is quite remarkable, but it’s gone now and I’m just old!”

With no plans to reunite at the moment, the stars are each taking part in their separate endeavours. James May is currently on his solo tour, Explorers, which comes to the UK next week.

Elsewhere, Jeremy Clarkson is having huge success on the farm, and with his Prime Video show, Clarkson’s Farm.

The show is hugely successful, and just last week Clarkson and the gang picked up an NTA for Factual Entertainment show.

However, he seemed to suffer an awkward wardrobe malfunction when heading up on stage, as his trousers appeared to fall down.

While adjusting his trousers, Clarkson explained: “I should explain I am on mounjaro [antidiabetic medication Tirzepatide] and my trousers are falling down.”

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James May, who is best known for his role on Top Gear and The Grand Tour, bought a pub in 2020 and it’s been reviewed by a content creator who was left impressed by one aspect

Jeremy Clarkson isn’t the only former Top Gear presenter to own a pub. Following his success with Amazon Prime’s Clarkson’s Farm programme, the Grand Tour star opened his own establishment, called The Farmer’s Dog, in August 2024.

Located in Asthall, near Burford in Oxfordshire, it continues to attract sizeable crowds keen to sample the Cotswolds pub for themselves. Meanwhile, fellow Grand Tour star James May purchased The Royal Oak in Swallowcliffe, Salisbury, Wiltshire, in 2020. Unlike Clarkson, May owns half the pub, which dates back to the 18th Century.

Recently content creator Phil Carr, who is known for his satirical reviews of towns and businesses across the UK, decided to visit the establishment himself to see what it was like. In a TikTok video, Phil observed that most celebrities who buy a pub do it as a “self-indulgent folly, a bit of fun, or simply to invest in massive property in hugely valuable areas in a way that people will love them for”.

However, James, who is a part-time resident in Swallowcliffe, and the community-owned pub “looked like it was going down”, he “decided he didn’t want to lose his local”, so he bought into it.

Speaking to Country and Town House, May previously outlined his reasoning for purchasing the derelict pub: “I was a bit browbeaten into buying it, but I also realised that if I didn’t there wouldn’t be a single pub within walking distance of our home.

“Buying it was the only way to ensure there would be. I don’t take any money out of it. I take the view that it’s like owning a nice painting or sculpture – you own it for self-gratification.”

Phil described the pub as “pretty cut off”, but said this is “part of its charm”. He paid £175 per night for a “mid level room” in July, which he found “charming”.

He also noted that breakfast is included, which helps “take the edge off” the cost.

After exploring Swallowcliffe, including the fields, he concluded there’s “really not much to it” beyond “the pub, the church and 174 residents”.

However, the highlight of the pub, which truly impressed him, was the cuisine. According to Phil, patrons started arriving in the evening, but it “didn’t really get busy like Clarkson’s Pub”.

Joined by fellow content creator Ann Russell, she highlighted James’ own gin, launched in 2021 with the idea to blend the flavours of Parsnip and Asian spices. She described it as “rather nice”.

Then Phil got to the “good bit” – the food. He elaborated: “The highest praise I can give it is, Ann lives just up the road [and] she’s been here four times, and anyone who knows her knows she doesn’t suffer bulls**t”.

Having ordered bread, cured trout, souffle, Sirloin steak, a pint of beer, Panna Cotta and Semifreddo, the £104.64 bill felt like “more than a fair exchange”, according to Phil. The quality of the breakfast food also left a positive impression on the content creator.

Phil wrapped up his thoughts by stating: “Don’t come here for a week on holiday or honeymoon but do stop in for a night definitely, if you’re on your way to the West Country or milling around the nearby Stonehenge. James did a great thing securing a community pub and they repaid him by making it really very good.”