Presenter Richard Hammond appeared on Good Morning Britain on Monday (October 6) and shared an update on the future of Top Gear almost 20 years after his horror crash
Richard Hammond has shared an update on Top Gear’s potential return to screens almost 20 years after his near-fatal accident.
The TV presenter, 55, found himself in a high-speed dragster crash while filming in 2006 and carried on hosting the motoring show until 2015 alongside Jeremy Clarkson and James May.
Paddy McGuinness and Freddie Flintoff took over as hosts in 2019 but the BBC decided to shelve the programme in December 2022 after former England cricket captain Freddie was seriously injured during filming.
Richard appeared on Good Morning Britain on Monday (October 6), alongside hosts Susanna Reid and Ed Balls and it didn’t take long for talk to turn to Top Gears TV future.
Susanna wasted no time and was quick to ask Richard: “Do you think Top Gear will return?”
The presenter, who fronted the show for 13 years, replied: “Yeah. Even though I have absolutely no power over it whatsoever but yes of course it will.”
He continued: “The show is 40 odd years old and we were temporary custodians of it. It’s off air at the moment. It’s been off air and came back before.
“There has been a more exciting time to talk about the subject with the need of decarbonation of transport infrastructure and that has to happen and we as consumers are a part of the process.
“And our decision to buy an electric car or hybrid or whatever option that will be there, it is important. We are constantly fed the lie that ‘everything must be electric’ well here is the thing, it can’t be and it doesn’t have to be.
He added: “There is plenty of alternatives that are already out there and engineers are already solving the problem.”
Susanne went on to touch on Richard’s accident as she said: “When you heard about Freddie’s accident, that must have brought back awful memories for you.”
Richard admitted: “Yes but I wouldn’t think the event is any bigger than anyone else.
“I think it is shocking when it is someone that you know directly or indirectly through the TV or personally it hurts and it triggers a response.”
“Yes, part of me did think ‘oh no’ but then I also felt for Freddie because I have been there, publicly injured and then the process of recovery is long.
“I always used to say, because mine was brain injury and you can’t see it, I always used to say I wanted a t-shirt that on the front said ‘I’m ok stop asking’ then on the back ‘I’m still poorly you know.”
Sharing a message to the Top Gear star, Richard added: “Honestly I wish Freddie all the best because it can be an ongoing recovery.”
