Richard Hammond opens up on grief in candid admission following death of his father amid marriage split
Former Top Gear and Grand Tour presenter Richard Hammond has revealed the death of his father Alan Hammond, as he opened up about experiencing “tremendous grief” on his podcast.
The 55-year-old TV star shared the news during a recent episode of “Who We Are Now,” which he co-hosts with his daughter Izzy Hammond.
Speaking to clinical psychiatrist Dr T on the podcast, Hammond said: “I have to say quite early on that since we spoke to Professor Green – because that’s this week’s episode, but we recorded it a little while back – since then, we’ve lost my father, Izzy’s grandfather, he died.”
Alan Hammond worked as a legal executive in North Yorkshire before later becoming an author.
During the podcast conversation, Hammond questioned how the loss was affecting both him and his daughter, asking Dr T: “And so we are, probably, both of us, Iz, are undergoing change right now – is that changing us?”
Dr T offered condolences and explained the universal nature of grief, noting: “Loss is something that we have experienced, are experiencing right now, or are going to experience in the near future, it’s a very common part of life.”
The psychiatrist detailed how bereavement impacts the brain, explaining: “When you go through a bereavement, your brain goes through a highly motivated state, because you would think that you would crash, but what happens is that when something that means a lot to us is removed, we want it back.”
Hammond revealed that while experiencing “tremendous grief,” the feeling often remains in the background of daily life.
The presenter described how grief often strikes unexpectedly during everyday moments, particularly when he instinctively thinks about sharing news with his father.
“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’ and I only sort of get…” Hammond explained.
He continued: “You know when you’re turning a thought into language? So the thought is there, and then I form it into words so I can communicate to myself and to the world, and it gets as far as, ‘oh I must tell… oh’.”
The TV star noted these moments don’t trigger overwhelming emotions but rather create “a definite sense, it’s a reminder” of his loss.
Dr T shared that this experience is common, saying such feelings can be “painful to the extent that sometimes when our phone rings, we think it’s them.”
The news of Alan Hammond’s death follows Hammond’s recent announcement about the end of his 28-year marriage to Mindy Hammond.
The couple revealed their separation in early January through a joint statement on social media.
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“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,” the statement read.
“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.”
The couple, who share daughters Izzy, 24, and Willow, 22, requested privacy during this time.
Reports suggest Hammond had tried to save his marriage for 18 months before accepting it was over, even attempting to live separately under the same roof at their Herefordshire home.