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Celebrity Brain Crash
"Does that mean he's/she's/they're not coming on then?"
—James May[src]

Celebrity Brain Crash was a segment on The Grand Tour during the show's first season. Celebrities are meant to come on the show to be interviewed and test their mental agility, observational skills, and ability to multitask, but ulltimately never make it and are "killed" in humorous ways.

Allegedly, the actual segment itself was supposed to be based on a machine used by potential fighter pilots wishing to join the Royal Air Force: the greatest air force in the world. Unfortunately, things don't go according to plan, as guests in the segment are always 'killed' in gruesome and comedic ways before they can enter The Grand Tour's studio tent to participate. 

A running gag during the segment was following the celebrity's "death", May would ask "Does that mean he's/she's/they're not coming on then?" - to which Hammond would reply no while bluntly outlining how "dead" the celebrity is.

The segment was scrapped after the end of the first series after poor viewer reception and was replaced by a new segment, Celebrity Face Off, in the second season.

Episodes[]

The Holy Trinity[]

Jeremy Renner skydives towards the tent, but is killed when his parachute fails to open. His replacement, Armie Hammer, is killed by a rattlesnake on his way to the tent. Desperately searching for a replacement, they remember that Carol Vorderman is in the audience – until they find her dead from unknown causes.

Operation Desert Stumble[]

As Charlize Theron approaches the tent, she is mauled by a lion.[1]

Opera, Arts and Donuts[]

Simon Pegg walks through the streets of Whitby with an ice cream. Distracted by seagulls attacking him, he ends up falling off the Whitby Swing Bridge into the river and drowns.

Enviro-mental[]

Jet-ski enthusiast Jimmy Carr approaches the tent on a jet-ski before crashing into passing boat and exploding.

Moroccan Roll[]

Dutch band Golden Earring begin to play their best known hit, Radar Love, before being electrocuted to death by a wire which fell into the Rotterdam dock waters.

Happy Finnish Christmas[]

Kimi Räikkönen stumbles towards the tent swigging a bottle of vodka before his liver fails, causing him to drop dead drunk and his body is left to freeze in the snow.[2]

Berks to the Future[]

German singer Nena is due to arrive at the tent, but gets carried away by 99 red balloons.[3]

Dumb Fight at the O.K. Coral[]

AC/DC vocalist Brian Johnson walks toward the tent when he is suddenly tackled and trampled to death by American football players. Clarkson then instigates a verbal war with the audience over the meaning of the word "football", which the American audience wins.

Italian Lessons[]

British racing driver Chris Hoy rows toward the tent before his boat explodes after hitting an underwater mine.

[censored] to [censored][]

Tim Burton rides a submarine on his way to the tent when it suddenly decompresses and explodes underwater.

Past v Future[]

Daniel Ricciardo drives a hovercraft toward the tent, but crashes into the side of the tent before being sucked into the hovercraft's fan, which rips him into shreds and his blood is then splattered across the tent's window.

References[]

  1. Since the individual who is introduced as Charlize Theron is seen from a distance with no close-up, it is probably not actually the actress. The X-Ray trivia for the episode also does not list Charlize Theron in the cast.
  2. Since the individual who is introduced as Kimi Räikkönen is seen from a distance with no close-up, it is probably not actually the racing driver. The X-Ray trivia for the episode also does not list Kimi Räikkönen in the cast.
  3. Since the individual who is introduced as Nena is seen from a distance with no close-up, it is probably not actually the singer. The X-Ray trivia for the episode also does not list Nena in the cast.
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