Richard Hammond's daughter, Isabelle "Izzy" Hammond, has followed in her father's footsteps into motoring journalism. Yet she calls him an idiot.
The famous former 'Top Gear' host has been called an idiot by his own daughter, Isabelle Hammond. It was a word she used about her father in a new interview on the 'Road to Success' podcast, where she spoke openly about her relationship with both of her parents.
In the podcast, Isabelle Hammond discusses her father's risky job and the many accidents he has been involved in while filming 'Top Gear.' One of these accidents was so serious that Hammond ended up in a coma.
The accident occurred in September 2006, when a TV presenter in a dragster skidded off a runway in England at over 500 km/h.
Hammond subsequently suffered 'serious injuries', according to doctors. But he recovered and – to the audience's great surprise – returned to the Top Gear filming already in 2007.
Host Ben Fowler asked Isabelle if she would describe her father as a “daredevil” or simply an “idiot.” Her answer was clear.
– He's an idiot. He has that thing that race car drivers have where they just don't own fear. Everyone has that line where they think 'okay, I know where the line is'.
– But he doesn't. He just wants to go on and on.
Isabelle explains that her father lacks the fear that most people have, and that his risky behavior has had an impact on her throughout her childhood.
Although Hammond was often away from home due to his work, Isabelle stresses that she "didn't have a bad childhood."
Her statements offer an insight into what it's like to grow up with a father who constantly puts his life on the line. Isabelle Hammond's honesty on the podcast 'Road to Success' has made headlines and given the public a new perspective on the famous TV host.
The world-famous Top Gear trio has nothing to do with each other anymore. At least not in a professional context.
Their production company, which was behind the Grand Tour programs, was closed down last year. The other two, James May and Jeremy Clarkson, have also been bought out of their joint project Drivetribe.
Amazon, which created the platform for The Grand Tour, has not given up hope of breathing new life into the format, however. In 2023, another production company was given the green light to rethink the program's format. However, the streaming service has not commented on the process.
