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Why Richard Hammond isn't taking so many risks in his new show

British TV presenter Richard Hammond says he now weighs up risks in his career, and his life, mor...
Jack Quann
Jack Quann

18.47 29 Jan 2021


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Why Richard Hammond isn't taki...

Why Richard Hammond isn't taking so many risks in his new show

Jack Quann
Jack Quann

18.47 29 Jan 2021


Share this article


British TV presenter Richard Hammond says he now weighs up risks in his career, and his life, more carefully.

In 2006, the then-'Top Gear'  frontman suffered brain injuries after crashing a jet-propelled car while travelling at close to 300mph.

The accident left him in intensive care, where he was in a coma for two weeks.

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While back in 2017, Hammond was said to be seconds from being "incinerated" in a car crash.

He suffered a fractured knee while racing an electric super car, but was not seriously injured.

He is now set to take part in a survival-type show with US TV personality Tory Belleci, best know for 'MythBusters'.

'The Great Escapists' will premiere on Amazon Prime Video on January 29th.

It follows Hammond and Belleci as they are shipwrecked on a desert island, with nothing but their smarts for survival.

He told The Hard Shoulder he is taking things a bit easier.

"It's my company that's making [the show], so all the people were thinking 'Right, in this scene somebody's got to do this bit and it's quite dangerous - if we kill the little fella, I'm not going to get my paycheck'.

"So as you watch the show, most of the dangerous stuff, Tory had to do it.

"My wife and daughters were quite happy with that, they liked that idea - so did I".

Asked if his family gets nervous, he said: "I don't want to have to make another of those phone calls to my wife Mindy saying 'Darling, I've had a bit of an accident - you're going to see it on social media.'

"They trust me to hopefully make the right call and minimise the risk."

"I know I'm a very lucky boy, things just fell luckily for me in my career, and I've done some amazing shows, had some incredible experiences".

"I've got a lovely life and I don't want to spoil it all: so I do look at the risks and think 'that's not really worth it'."

"I've chatted to a lot of people who've had similar injuries and very similar experiences.

"But this distance from it, this far ahead down the line, really that has become filed away as to one of the major experiences but nevertheless one of the experiences in my life.

"We all have those and they affect us all... all of these things have an input into making is who we are.

"So really for me, that head injury has now taken its place along the many other things that have caused me to be the irritating, little grummy twerp that I now am".

Why Richard Hammond isn't taking so many risks in his new show

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Main image: Richard Hammond attending a launch event and screening of 'The Grand Tour' in London, England in 2019. Picture by: Ian West/PA Archive/PA Images

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Amazon Prime Richard Hammond The Great Escapists The Hard Shoulder Top Gear Tory Belleci

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