James May May Discusses His Retirement Plans: “I’d Like An Animal Sanctuary”

James May was asked by Mike Fernie of DriveTribe what he’d do if he was given a blank cheque and told to go film something. In a surprise twist, May admitted initially that he wouldn’t need a lot of money, as The Grand Tour and Our Man In series scratched the itch of travelling, cars, and learning.

Instead, he’d look at something quite introverted like a series on woodwork or music. But as May thought more and more about this question, he admitted that he’d love to do a series on “animal rescue”.

“I’d like an animal sanctuary, money no object. I don’t want to run it, I don’t know enough about that sort of thing, I’d find some people to run it.

“I’d like there to be a place full of friendly, cuddly animals that I could go and visit.”

On being asked what kind of animals would be found at the sanctuary, he explains the following:

“Oh no no, just things that have been saved. So there would be donkeys, horses, dogs, cats, rabbits, you know, all in a big field in some huts.

“All furry and happy and I’d just go and talk to them.”

He admits that while he owns a field, it doesn’t have an animal sanctuary on it.

“I don’t know, maybe I’ll think about that for retirement.”

He jokes that he’d live in a little hut with a few books and a cooker, and spend his days of retirement talking to donkeys.