The Grand Tour fans accuse show of faking scene that could have killed Richard Hammond
The latest episode of The Grand Tour dropped on 16 February, titled Sandjob.
It comes eight months after their last episode, a special across Central Europe titled Eurocrash.
In this, their third episode of their fifth series of the Prime Video original, there was a scene that has caused fans to point fingers at the show for faking it.
You can watch the trailer for Sandjob below:
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The latest Grand Tour special sees the three presenters, Jeremy Clarkson, James May and Richard Hammond plough across the West Sahara region of Africa in second-hand exotic GT cars that have been modified.
All three started presenting together on BBC's Top Gear in 2003, and with the end of The Grand Tour reportedly in sight, it is potentially the end of an era for motoring fans.
Sandjob sees the trio start in Mauritania and make their way to Senegal in a 1000-mile journey, overcoming many obstacles along the way, with one of them standing out in particular.
*Spoilers for The Grand Tour ahead*
In the scene, the presenters encounter the bat-infested Choum tunnel in the Sahara Desert, taking them under a mountain range that is in their way.
Clarkson suggests that the three have to go fast through the tunnel, to avoid catching Ebola from the bats' faeces.
He goes first, darting through, but upon discovering a barrier on the other side, brakes quickly enough to stop right before it.
After getting out and inspecting the sign, he realises that the area in front of him is a minefield, and tries to warn Hammond.
Unfortunately, he has already set off and Clarkson's warnings over the radio are drowned out by his Aston Martin's engine, causing him to crash through the barrier into the minefield, looking visibly scared as he reverses to safety.
Clarkson and Hammond question the legitimacy of the signs though, but state that 'it's the kind of thing you generally take a sign's word for'.
Following this, May comes through safely, but then the crew's petrol truck races through the tunnel and makes its way through the field with no explosions.
The scene had several fans questioning the authenticity of the scene on Reddit.
One user said: "Minefield is absolutely scripted, there's no way they would have had someone drive a truck through an actual minefield. There's also YouTube videos of people exploring the tunnel and there's no minefield signs.
"I will still say though, until I saw the truck going straight through the mines, I got REAL nervous for Hammond."
Another posted: "I've done a bit of movie prop making in the past and the sign they erected looks like it's been made to look weathered. They made the wood for the fence also look weathered, but the barb wire is still pristine. Of course that bit is faked."
A third put: "The minefield bit was definitely scripted, but their reactions did look pretty genuine lol."
Whether you question the scene or not, the special marked what is expected to be the penultimate episode of the show.
Amazon Prime said they had ‘no official comment’ on the presenters leaving, but added that ‘options are being explored’ for the show’s future.
LADbible has reached out to Amazon for further comment.
Topics: The Grand Tour, Jeremy Clarkson, James May, Richard Hammond, Amazon Prime, TV and Film
Joshua Nair