Ex-Top Gear presenter James May unexpectedly launched a cook book last week - and also reopened his new look pub near Salisbury.

He announced he had bought half of the The Royal Oak in Swallowcliffe near his South Wiltshire home earlier this year.

The pub reopened last week, with an event James said had sold out on Twitter.

Now he's given a video tour to YouTube channel Drive Tribe, which has more than a million subscribers.

He begins the video with a gloomy summary of the situation pubs face, while defiantly explaining why he got involved anyway.

"I've been told there's never been a worse time to buy half a pub," he says.

Locals who are fond of the pub will hope the exposure is good for keeping the business going, despite the challenges of the pandemic.

James explains in the video that Covid-19 rules make the pub experience very different.

He said: "This pub has been closed for over a year because it's never made a profit and the previous owners have had enough.

"We also know that pubs in Britain have been closing down at an alarming rate - almost 10,000 in the last decade.

"Under the new pandemic rules, there can be no standing at the bar, there has to be table service only, the tables have to be spaced more widely apart to maintain social distancing and a lot of people are simply nervous about going to the pub."

Of course the news this weekend has suggested a new national lockdown could be about to kick in - even worse news for the hospitality industry and businesses like The Royal Oak.

See inside the pub and watch James May's tour below:

But James insists on looking on the bright side before giving Drive Tribe a tour.

He explains despite The Royal Oak being a historic inn, it has modern furniture and a spacious feel - none of that "traditional rubbish".

He goes on to highlight the 'oak room' and other features of the pub, while bantering with decorators and his new pub manager.

To see the full tour, watch the video above.