Richard Hammond reveals ‘tremendous grief’ as he announces death of father
Richard Hammond has announced the death of his father, Alan Hammond.
The 55-year-old TV presenter, best known for his role on motoring Top Gear and The Grand Tour, shared the news on a new episode of his podcast, Who We Are Now, which he co-hosts with his 24-year-old daughter Izzy.
Hammond revealed that he had been experiencing “tremendous grief” when he told podcast guest, a psychiatrist called Dr T, that his father had died.
Hammond said: “I have to say quite early on that since we spoke to Professor Green [for the podcast] and since then, we've lost my father, Izzy's grandfather. He died. Probably both of us are undergoing change right now.”
The episode, which was centred around the science of connection, saw Hammond and his daughter get insight from the mental health expert on how our brains process the loss of a loved one.
Hammond opened up about the grief of his father’s death, saying: “I’ve noticed that since we lost my dad I don’t wander around daily in a cloud of… there was tremendous grief, of course there was, he was my dad, but it’s kind of in the background.”
“And when it hits me is when I’m pottering about doing something often inconsequential, or thinking about something big, my brain has already formed the thought, “oh, I must tell dad”.
Hammond’s father Alan worked as a legal executive in North Yorkshire before later becoming an author.
The presenter previously credited his father for encouraging his motoring interests from a young age, and for helping him build his first bike as a teenager.
“I started building my own bikes when I was 11, right through to 14 or 15. I'd have boxes of spare parts and Dad would help. He always let me lead, though, which I now think is quite significant. Other dads might have wanted to take charge to do it their way,” he told The Guardian in 2013.
He continued: “I remember Dad and me working out when I was five how many days it would be before I could ride a motorbike. I didn't stop badgering him about getting one. I had motorbike wallpaper; knew every bike on the road. On my 16th birthday, they handed me my first set of keys – to a 49cc Honda – and off I sped. It was incredibly brave of them to let me have one.”
The news comes just weeks after Hammond and his wife, the newspaper columnist Amanda, announced their divorce after 28 years together.
In a statement shared online in January, the pair said: “A little update from us; this Christmas we were together as a family and this year we will still be a family but just structured a bit differently.
“Our marriage is coming to end, but we’ve had an amazing 28 years together and two incredible daughters.”
“We will always be in each other’s lives and are proud of the family we created.
“We won’t be commenting further and sincerely hope that our privacy and that of our children will be respected at this time. With Love, Richard and Mindy.”
