James May's new TV show 'thrown into chaos' after star's horror accident

James May's latest television endeavour is in turmoil following a severe mishap. The ex-The Grand Tour host sustained an injury from a bicycle tumble this month.

During a charity bike ride in London, he took a spill near Hammersmith Bridge and "bust" his wrist, creating difficulties for his forthcoming Channel 5 programme, The Great Explorers With James May. At 61, James has expressed his irritation with the setback, which has prevented filming of several planned scenes for the series.

He initially notified fans of his mishap on X, previously known as Twitter, posting: "I'm taking part in a charity bicycle ride today, with the Armonico Consort and me old mate Oz Clarke (OBE). But I'm going in the car, because I bust my wrist in a bicycle accident."

Additionally, in a recent interview, he has voiced vexation over his injury. Speaking with The Telegraph, James remarked: "At my age, this sort of thing takes much longer to heal," further lamenting: "I woke up one day and the one thing I never thought would happen had happened: I felt old. It's partly my hair; my baggy face."

His new series aims to retrace the journeys of renown explorers such as James Cook, Sir Walter Raleigh, and Christopher Columbus, delving into their legendary expeditions, reports the Mirror.

Speaking to The Sun, a source revealed: "This show is all about James looking back over the journeys of the world 's most notable explorers across three 90-minute episodes dedicated to each name. Not only will he examine the success of their stories, from engineering innovation to culinary invention, but also the treasures brought back to dark, damp Europe.

The insider added: "This series will also reveal the less impressive or palatable aspects of these men, for many, their discoveries may not be quite what they expected."

The update comes as James made clear that he was "not depressed" in the wake of The Grand Tour's conclusion. He quipped that it might have been time to wrap up the wildly popular programme because he and his co-hosts were "on the brink of death".

Having presented the Amazon Prime show alongside former Top Gear co-presenters Jeremy Clarkson and Richard Hammond, May expressed no sadness over its final episode, which aired this month, proud instead that they finished "on a high note". While attending Market Place Vauxhall—a food court where vendors crafted limited-edition James Gin infused dishes inspired by him for one week—May commented: "Nothing will ever be as big as Top Gear and The Grand Tour were, so I'm not full of woe and regret."

He continued: "It was time to stop. We are all getting quite old. One or two of us are on the brink of death, and I hope we left on a high note with people wanting more, because that's what you're supposed to do in show business. So, I'm not depressed about it. It's a time for reflection, a reflection usually leads to another gin."