Jeremy Clarkson reveals nasty surprise while filming new Grand Tour: Sand Job special

Jeremy Clarkson has spoken in graphic detail about some of the more unpleasant aspects of filming the latest Grand Tour special against the blistering heat of the Sahara Desert.

The Grand Tour: Sand Job follows last year’s The Grand Tour: Eurocrash and marks his, Richard Hammond and James May’s penultimate motoring adventure after Clarkson confirmed on Instagram that there won’t be any more specials after 2024.

Starting at the northern part of Mauritania, Sand Job sees the three motorheads drive off into the Sahara before going south for Senegal and the famous finish line on the beach of Dakar. In order to complete their journey, each of them must drive a second-hand sports cars, which they have had a hand in modifying.

Clearly they lived to tell the tale, but there was one aspect that they were not prepared for, with Hammond worrying about repercussions still to come.

Reflecting on the challenges of filming in the Sahara, Clarkson, 63, said: “In the middle of the night, it was still 38. It’s so hot it’s baffling.

“It messes with your head, and it certainly messes with your bladder, which seems to be capable of absorbing a gallon of water an hour and it doesn't come out of you anywhere. And when it does come out finally, it’s the colour and consistency of a Rolo or a stair banister.”

Agreeing, Hammond, 54, added: “You’re losing all your fluids through sweat. My eyelids were sweating. So I was peeing sand and steam. I’m probably riddled with kidney stones as a result. You can’t drink enough. We’re always told, ‘Stay hydrated’, but you can drink water constantly and still get dehydrated. It’s hard work. It’s exhausting, trying to drink enough.”

The Grand Tour: Sand Job will available to stream globally from February 16 on Prime Video.