The Grand Tour's new host Francis Bourgeois has revealed why he changed his name, admitting he was "overwhelmed" by the idea of fame. The 26-year-old train enthusiast, who was born Luke Magnus Nicolson, said he ditched his birth name when he began his TikTok career after being told employers might trawl through his social media.
A pseudonym for protection
The pseudonym, inspired in part by artist Louise Bourgeois, meant he could be "as creatively explosive as I liked". It also offered him a "level of protection" against the "overwhelming" feeling of having his name shouted in the street.
Bourgeois has more than three million followers on TikTok after launching his channel in 2020 during the coronavirus pandemic. Having always had a passion for trains, he rekindled his trainspotting hobby as lockdown restrictions began to lift and his videos started to go viral.
From trainspotting to The Grand Tour
After several of his videos went viral, he began collaborating with celebrities like Joe Jonas and brands including Gucci. He also wrote a book, The Trainspotter's Notebook, and hosts the digital series Trainspotting with Francis Bourgeois for Channel 4.
In 2022, he spoke to The Railway Hub about how he had no intention of becoming a viral sensation, explaining: "Honestly, I just started out because I wanted a creative outlet during lockdown, and my first videos were just having fun. I was trainspotting most days and that kind of crept into my videos – then one thing led to another.
"I think the main moment was realising I could quit my job and be a full-time trainspotter, which is a bit bizarre and I’m still trying to comprehend that at the moment."
Backlash and new beginnings
He also previously spoke to the BBC about changing his name, sharing: "I wanted to form a protective bubble over that side of my life; isolate it in a way, but in doing so I realised this is what I want to be. I started to realise that it's absolutely cool to have this unique passion."
Bourgeois experienced some backlash from fans after they discovered his life outside of trainspotting, which appeared rather different to how he presented himself on social media. Seeing him working out at the gym and embracing a different style of clothing led viewers to believe his online persona was a hoax.
"In coming out of my shell with my railway enthusiasm, it felt like I was being pushed back in," he continued. "Some people believe it's just a façade or a character, but what I feel when I see the trains is raw emotion, and that's what I let through on the camera, uninhibited."
Now, the star has expanded his repertoire to cars and is excited to share his Grand Tour adventure with fans. He was extremely nervous to take over from the original trio, previously telling Prime Video: "The saying ‘big shoes to fill’ spring to mind. Well, in this case it’ll be like Mo Farah running in Size 14 wellies — it’ll be a little awkward at first, perhaps blister inducing but will overall be an interesting watch."
The Grand Tour premieres on Prime Video on September 4.
