Richard Hammond makes BBC Top Gear admission as he reflects on ‘anxiety-riddled’ life during filming
Richard Hammond has revealed an insight into his and his co-hosts behind the scenes struggles while making Top Gear.
The 55-year-old broadcaster and writer spoke candidly while touring the show’s old offices with James May.
The pair returned to the offices at the Dunsfold Aerodrome in Surrey where the iconic series was filmed for James May’s YouTube channel, dedicated to his eponymous brand of gin.eponymous brand of gin.
Top Gear’s 2002 revival was masterminded by Jeremy Clarkson, who was later joined by Hammond in the same year and May in 2003.
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The programme became the biggest motoring show on the planet and one of the most successful brands for the BBC, but it was not without its controversies.
Ten years after the trio left the show in 2015, Hammond and May returned to tour the now dilapidated production offices.
“It might be weird, it might be traumatising,” May worried as they prepared to enter the building.
Hammond recalled the pre-show nerves while they plotted out the programme’s script in the office.
“There’d be a tricky bit in the news that you’d be dreading or a really long complicated link that had a lot of stuff you’d have to remember,” he said while looking wistfully out a window.
He remembered fearing: “I’m going to keep getting it wrong! The audience is just going to get bored!”
A more pensive May reflected their office “used to go slightly quiet because we were all thinking ‘right I’ve got to remember that bit.’”
“Did we get anxious before we did the shows?” Hammond asked his former co-host.
“I think we did but we got used to it and that was just the way our lives were,” May reflected.
“Anxiety riddled!” Hammond shot back, which May empatically agreed with.
Later, May fearfully recalled the “awful moment” the show’s sound technician would come to the door just before the recording was due to start.
Both men turned to the office door in silence.
“Mics on… and then we’d be fed to the lions,” Hammond squeaked.