4 October 2023
Jeremy Clarkson reveals he is stranded in Botswana alongside Richard Hammond and James May after flight delays – as he boasts about making do with 40 staff in luxury camp with pool
Jeremy Clarkson took to social media on Tuesday to reveal he has been left stranded in Botswana after a severe flight delay.
The TV presenter is currently ‘marooned’ in a luxury camp alongside his co-hosts Richard Hammond, 53, and James May, 60, as the threesome completed filming for the next series of The Grand Tour.
Taking to Instagram, the star, 63, decided to document the delay with his followers as he joked about their chance of survival and boasted about living int the lap of luxury with 40 staff waiting on them hand-and-foot.
Breaking the news with a snap of Hammond and May staring down at their phones alongside the remains of their dinner and half full wine glasses, he wrote:
‘BA have messed up our flight home so we are marooned here at a luxury camp in Botswana. With only 40 staff. It’s all about survival now.’
Jeremy then proceeded to post regular updates as he charted the threesome’s stay in the remote camp which has a stunning pool.
Stranded: The TV presenter is currently ‘marooned’ in a luxury camp alongside his co-hosts as the threesome completed filming for the next series of The Grand Tour
Sharing a video of the luxury camp they are staying at he wrote: ‘Marooned update. We are coping. But for how long?’
The video showed a huge furnished lounge area before settling on James as he opened the fridge to reveal fully stocked shelves filled with beer. James then opted for a Jeremy’s brand of Hawkstone lager as he indulged in the beverage.
In the next post the presenter turned farmer, shared a serene picture of an outdoor pool, sarcastically writing: ‘When BA delay a flight by 12 hours, do they not realise how much hardship they inflict on passengers? We are fighting to stay alive here.’
Fans began to contribute to the joke in the comments as one teased: ‘Are you bored Jeremy?’ and another added: ‘The Bear Grylls approach to survival I see!’
Later on he posted an adorable snap of a meerkat on its hind legs as it watched the sunset across the sandy plane.
He captioned the snap: ‘Thanks to BA’s incompetence, this is how I’ve been forced to endure my evening.’
The snap provided the opportune moment to make a dig at Richard Hammond, who was often nicknamed ‘the Hamster’ in his Top Gear days. One fan joked: ‘Didn’t know Hammond was so hairy’, while another added ‘A great picture of Hammond’.
Updating fans on Wednesday morning, as the threesome entered day two of survival, Jeremy shared a snap of two birds as they pecked at his breakfast.
‘Day two and the horror continues. Two red eyed bulbul birds helping themselves to the sugar for my morning coffee,’ he wrote.
He upped the drama in the next post as he shared a snap of a Kyote-like animal as it tucked into it’s dead prey.
Joking in the caption, he broke the news: ‘James May didn’t make it I’m afraid’, before later updating fans that he misidentified the dead prey and ‘It was actually Richard Hammond who was turned into food’.
Fans continued to engage with Jeremy’s storytelling, as one asked ‘What was he driving at the time?’ Others made a jibe at Richard’s height as they added: ‘Not a big meal then’, and ‘Was it a skinny carcass for the poor [animal]’ with a fox emoji.
Later James was seen enjoying a beer as he relaxed on the settee as Jeremy penned: ‘James May has built a rudimentary shelter and we will cower here until BA get their act together. Pray for us.’
In the comments section, fans played along to Jeremy’s narrative as one wrote: ‘He’s looking weaker by the hour’.
Another joked: ‘I am on my way to visit Hawkstone Brewery this morning. Could I perhaps arrange an emergency supply to be sent to you?’
An eagle-eyed follower noticed the time on James’ phone as he pointed out that the men were having to revert to morning drinking to stay sane.
They wrote: ‘His phone says it’s 10.44 – must be tougher out there to resort to drinking that early! Stay strong’.
Posting a snap before the flight disaster, the presenter shared a picture of the three friends in the Botswana landscape as he wrote: ‘Yesterday. Before the horror began. Happier days.’
He later shared a snap of himself and James with a gap in between where Richard, now ‘dead’, should have sat as he wrote: ‘Missing man formation’. Fans mourned the ‘loss’ of Richard as one wrote: ‘RIP richy hammond’ while another joked ‘He’s there. Just forgot the booster seat’.
