T’other day, who cares when… when doesn’t matter… the presenters of Top Gear thundered across London’s Tower Bridge aboard a bloody great tank to launch their new world tour. That’s right. Some madman has seen it fit to let these glorious reprobates loose on the globe! Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond and James May were driven in the stretched 434 Armoured Personnel Carrier to launch Top Gear Live with typical gung-ho pomp… but what are they doing? Is it some big holiday? Will it be like a car version of Jackass? Well, it’s not far off as we’ll all be able to watch the hosts take on mentalist challenges during each 75-minute live show. So where and when then? (This is when ‘when’ matters).

The lads begin their tour at Earl’s Court in London on 30th October as part of the ‘MPH Prestige and Performance Motor Show’, which means absolutely nothing to me, but may well mean something to you. Clarkson said the idea for a live tour was born last year when the presenters were performing in South Africa.

“There was a huge demand from all over the world for us to go and perform – this is an opportunity to come and watch us three cocking about,” he said.

The £20m world tour will visit Dublin, Johannesburg, Sydney, Auckland and Hong Kong in its first year, with 10 shows on each leg. After that, it will stop at Stuttgart, Moscow, and Abu Dhabi. Clarkson and Hammond are confirmed to be fronting all the shows on the tour, with May so far signed up for London and Dublin. More when we have it/find it.

[Official bit: That photo up there. Rex Features took it. Or rather, bought it off someone and probably own it now]