James May cheated death in a terrifying incident when he crashed a plane and ended up upside down.

James May

James May

The 'Grand Tour' co-host was flying a light aircraft when he became "over-confident" and smashed the plane on the runway as a result of some "strong cross-winds".

He said: "I crashed it, it's as simple as that. On the runway. I was being over-confident. There were strong cross-winds in a light aircraft and I thought, 'I can sort this out and get it back.'

"But I was wrong. It ended up upside down.

"As I was coming down I thought, 'I'll get away with this.' "

James and his co-pilot had to rush out of the aircraft because it was beginning to fill with petrol, but fortunately they managed to get out "pretty much unscathed".

He said: "There was another bloke with me and we were both pretty much unscathed. I'd bashed my knees up and I was limping for a few days.

"He got hit on the ear by a metal flight case, which was fortunate, it made a little cut on his ear. It could've hit him on the back of the head and done something terrible.

"It was freshly filled with fuel and it was all pouring out, so we got out very quickly.

"But there was no fire, which was fortunate."

James previously co-hosted 'Top Gear' alongside Jeremy Clarkson and Richard Hammond, and while he doesn't front the BBC motoring show anymore, he still tunes in and "likes it".

Asked if he watches and likes 'Top Gear', he told 'Good Morning Britain': "I like it. I like car shows. I think they're [the 'Top Gear' hosts] almost as good as us. It's amazing.

"I've known Chris Harris for 30 years. I like it and I like watching car shows and I don't see why it's a problem to have two big car shows."

James' comments come after Jeremy admitted last month that he no longer watches 'Top Gear'.

He said: "I wish them all the very best but I don't watch it. It was my baby and then it got taken away and they've got it now. It's like it you've got a baby and it's put up for adoption you hope the baby's brought up very well."

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