Richard Hammond, 55, makes rare reference to split from wife of 28 years in new Grand Tour special
Richard Hammond has spoken up about his split from wife Mindy for the first time since the couple of 28 years split.
The 55-year-old presenter was speaking while appearing with James May on Prime’s The Not Very Grand Tour.
In the debut, The Glory and The Power, they celebrated the combustion engine and how it changed the world.
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Interspersing repeated sections from The Grand Tour, Hammond and May sat together to discuss how cars had “broadened our horizons”.
“In the 1800s, the average American travelled 50 meters a day. Now, the average person travels 50 kilometres a day, and some cover a lot more,” Hammond explained.
“If we travel more, we see more, we learn more. And we don’t have to marry whoever lives next door.
“Which is my case…” Hammond said, turning towards the camera with a pained expression.
“Anyway!” May cut in, moving the conversation on.
Hammond’s light-hearted reference was clear to breaking up with former wife Mindy, after 28 years of marriage.
The joke may have been even more pointed, as it was revealed Hammond had been sleeping in the couple’s converted barn adjoining their estate prior to the split.
Updating fans on X, Hammond wrote earlier this year: “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,” he continued.
The 55-year-old rounded off the statement by adding: “We won’t be commenting further and sincerely hope our privacy and that of our children will be respected at this time. With Love, Richard and Mindy.”
At the time, a source told The Sun: “Richard is very upset about all this. It seems he has tried hard to rekindle the relationship but to no avail”.
The source added that there is “no speculation that any third party is involved”.
Hammond and Mindy met in 1995 while working at the same London PR firm and married in 2002. They share two daughters; 24-year-old Isabella, who regularly collaborates with her dad on YouTube and their podcast, and Willow, 22.