Grand Tour host Jeremy Clarkson narrowly avoid awkward encounter with Jenson Button amid rumours he will host Top Gear
JEREMY Clarkson and his Grand Tour presenting crew made a speedy exit from Heathrow just minutes before Jenson Button - a contender for the former Top Gear host's old job - touched down at the same airport.
Motormouth Jeremy led the way as he strolled through the London transport hub with Richard Hammond and James May after their new show's successful launch in America.
They looked cheery as they slung their hand luggage over their shoulders and chatted in the Arrivals lounge.
The bunch, who switched to front a new programme on Amazon Prime after Jeremy was sacked by the BBC, managed to avoid an awkward encounter with a very smiley Jenson.
The Formula One ace had arrived back in the UK from a different location shortly after.
Jeremy, Richard and James all wore casual jeans and jackets for their long haul trip.
They seemed animated and showed no signs of jetlag as Jeremy and Richard walked ahead deep in discussion, leaving James to listen in behind.
Their arrival in the UK came after the success of The Grand Tour's second episode.
The quirky scenes showed the three presenters swap motors for mortars as they transformed into terrorist fighters wielding guns, even stepping in to save the 'Queen' on board a flight.
Meanwhile the opening to their new programme cost £2.5million and was the most expensive to ever air on TV.
In October, we reported Top Gear bosses were trying to secure Jenson's signature to replace Chris Evans, who stepped in to present the show's last series.
Yet after teaming up with Friends star Matt Le Blanc for the re-vamped line-up he quit after a single series.
Meanwhile Jenson looked like he'd fit well with the presenter's dress code, choosing a relaxed hoodie, coat and jeans for today's travel outfit.
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Jenson was initially approached to make a one-off film for the programme, with a view to him then becoming a regular part of the show.
Bosses liked his debut last series, which led to hundreds of fans calling for him to replace Chris Evans before he quit.
An insider revealed: “Jenson was great when he was on last series, especially for someone who has not presented before.
“He’s been approached to see if he would like to make another film and the hope is it will lead to him working on the show regularly.
“Nothing has been earmarked yet but it’s likely he’ll be dealing with supercars, where he can get the most out of the vehicle.
“Matt is still the main host but Top Gear has a large team of other presenters who are now doing more.”
Jenson announced earlier this month that he will leave F1 team McLaren at the end of the season and he is yet to agree a deal with a rival.
Meanwhile Matt has signed a £2million two-year deal after he had only been initially contracted for one series.
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