James May: Our Man in Italy is a sequel to host’s Amazon Prime travel show Our Man in Japan
In “Our Man in Italy” presenter James May travels across the beautiful Mediterranean country.
The six-part Amazon Prime series is the latest in a series of factual programs James has presented throughout his long television career.
But what else is James May known for, why did he leave Top Gear and when is Our Man in Italy coming out on Amazon? Here’s everything you need to know:
Who is James May?
James May, 59, is a British television presenter and journalist best known for presenting the Top Gear car show alongside Jeremy Clarkson and Richard Hammond from 2003 to 2015.
Born in Bristol, May has two sisters and a brother. He spent his teenage years in South Yorkshire.
Early in his career, May worked as a journalist, serving as a sub-editor for The Engineer and Autocar magazines. He continues to write and has a weekly column in the Daily Telegraph.
On the show, May was known as Captain Slow because he was less keen on hitting the gas pedal than his other Speed Demon peers.
The trio left Top Gear in 2015 and began presenting a very similar but legally separate car show, The Grand Tour, on Amazon Prime the following year.
May has also presented several other science and factual shows including Inside Killer Sharks, James May’s 20th Century, Man Lab, Toy Stories and Big Ideas.
May started his own YouTube channel after leaving Top Gear, where he shared cooking videos and builds of Airfix models. The channel has over 200,000 subscribers and its latest video is a mock advertisement for Aviation Gin.
In 2020, May presented Our Man in Japan, a travel documentary series in which he traveled from the north to the south of the country, taking in the sights and culture along the way.
The series proved popular and was renewed, but with a new location – Italy.
James May is not married, but has been in a relationship with art critic Sarah Frater since 2000. The couple have no children.
Why did James May leave Top Gear?
Following an infamous riot in March 2015, in which Jeremy Clarkson attacked Top Gear producer Oisin Tymon, Clarkson was suspended from the show.
Both Richard Hammond and James May refused to work with him and after the BBC refused to renew Clarkson’s contract, the duo refused to renew their contract.
Within months of the presenters leaving Top Gear, they had committed to presenting a new auto show, The Grand Tour, with Amazon.
What is Our Man in Italy about?
In Our Man in Italy, James May will explore the culture of the historic country in six 50-minute episodes.
He will begin his journey in the island nation of Sicily, where he will delve into local customs such as canoe polo and bagpipes.
In later episodes he will travel to the Amalfi Coast, capital Rome, via Florence and Milan, where he will finally refresh his wardrobe.
Finally, May will visit Venice and end his journey in the Dolomites.
When is the release date of Our Man in Italy?
The six-part series will be released in one go on Friday, July 15 on Amazon Prime Video.
All of Our Man in Japan is now also available on Amazon Prime.