Why The Grand Tour’s Francis Bourgeois uses a stage name and what his real name is
It turns out that Francis Bourgeois’ real name isn’t Francis Bourgeois.
The 26-year-old’s debut as host of The Grand Tour is almost upon us as he features alongside social media stars Thomas Holland and James Engelsman.
With a tough task ahead, no doubt, the trio take over from the show’s former hosts Jeremy Clarkson, James May and Richard Hammond.
“They’ve been so warm and open,” he told the Press Association.
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“It’s that transition point where they know it’s going into nice, right hands, to have them, and to have their blessing is an absolute superpower.”
What is Francis Bourgeois’ real name?
During a 2024 interview for BBC Radio 4 series How to Be in the Spotlight, Francis told Rylan Clark that his real name is Luke Nicolson.
When Francis worked for Rolls Royce as part of his mechanical engineering degree, he made the decision to keep his online and professional lives separate.
Francis rose to fame in 2021 after his trainspotting videos went viral on TikTok and Instagram.
“I felt a pseudonym would have an added layer of protection,” he explained.
“[My brother and I] had just been to the Hauser & Wirth Gallery and there were some sculptures by Louise Bourgeois. Francis Bourgeois just came off the back of that… I think the name reflects a bit of me in its quirkiness.”
The Grand Tour will feature cameos from Clarkson, Hammond and May
In their first season at the wheel, Francis, James and Thomas attempt to sneak undetected across Colorado in a trio of Japanese microcars, featuring guest appearances from Clarkson, Hammond, May and F1 World Champion Jenson Button.
“The team visit California to test out the latest, greatest American muscle cars - the Ford Mustang GTD, Chevrolet Corvette ZR1, and $2.75m, 2000-horsepower Hennessey Venom F5 Revolution Evolution – by taking on a bunch of fighter jets. Obviously,” Prime Video said ahead of the seventh season.
“Elsewhere, Francis, James and Thomas head to Malaysia to delve into the nation’s rich car culture while also investigating just how little you can spend on a sports car without it immediately blowing up, before journeying through the desert of Angola in track-cars utterly unsuited for the job.”
Francis said: “I’d like to think of it as a really eclectic painting made up of lots of different elements.
“There are aspects that will appeal to different audiences, but everything is centred around cars, humour and adventure.
“I’d also say it’s perhaps a more emotional show than people might expect.
“There’s certainly plenty of excitement and euphoria, especially with some of the big challenges and races, but there’s a genuine emotional side to it as well.”
'It’s still very much a car show'
James and Thomas Holland - the creators of the YouTube channel Throttle House - are equally as excited.
"There’s a moment in the first episode where we’re talking at a drive-in theatre when Francis suddenly hears a train," James recalled.
"He immediately says, 'Hang on a minute', and we all chase after it. People will probably think it was planned, but it genuinely happened.
"The crew instantly jumped into cars and somehow managed to film the whole thing while we were chasing this train at speed. The entire day’s schedule completely went off the rails. Sorry for the unintentional pun! Those moments are what the show is built around."
Thomas added: "It’s going to feel familiar in some ways and completely new in others. At its heart, it’s still very much a car show and, in many ways, a travel show as well.
"We didn’t set out to make something radically different - we’re simply ourselves, so we naturally bring our own flavour to it."
The seventh season of The Grand Tour premieres tomorrow, Friday, 4 September 2026.
Topics: The Grand Tour, Cars, Entertainment, Jeremy Clarkson
Anish Vij