Richard Hammond breaks silence on divorce and compares it to his near-fatal car crash

Richard Hammond has spoken for the first time about his divorce after confirming he was splitting from wife Mindy after 23 years of marriage. The formerTop Gearpresenter, 55, spoke about his tough past 12 months, which saw the breakdown of his marriage as well as his latest TV show come to an end.

While he said "things change," Richard went as far as comparing his marriage ending to his infamous car crash in 2006. The incident left him in a two-week coma and suffering brain injuries.

And Richard admitted the tough times have comparisons. He said: "Whatever happens to us, we can decide. Maybe not in the moment. I didn’t decide, as the car was going over at 320mph 'I’m going to make this a good thing', but there came a moment when I thought, 'right, my reaction to this is going to be positive."

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Speaking to the Daily Mail, he went on: "That’s what you have to do. Well, it’s what I do." His words come eight months after the pair revealed their split. At the time, the pair released a joint statement.

It read: "Our marriage is coming to an 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."

In Richard's new series, Richard Hammond's Workshop, the star immediately addresses his break up. He tells viewers that a "slight change in my circumstances" mean he has moved.

"I like it. It’s got amazing views," he said. "A place to keep some of my cars and bikes and best of all it’s closer to the workshop. I’m trying to put a silver lining on this. It’s been a tough few years, but it’s not all bad."

He admitted to the publication that he still isn't picturing himself in another relationship just yet. He admitted he has also been too busy filming to have given it a thought.

Richard and Mindy's divorce came at a time when he also lost his dad to cancer at the age of 80. He died in October last year in a hospice.

The presenter didn't make his dad Alan's death public knowledge until after New Year. And he admits he sometimes still forgets his dad isn't around.

"It’s the strangest thing," he said. "Something will be happening and I will think, “I must go and tell Dad.” Then I realise, “Oh. I can’t.” My brothers feel the same thing."

His comments echo what he had previously shared about how, although the grief of losing his father was immense, it often remained a subtle presence in daily life. Speaking on his podcast earlier this year, he said: "When it hits me is when I'm pottering about doing something often inconsequential, or thinking about something big, my brain has already formed the thought, 'oh, I must tell dad' and I only sort of get...

"You know when you're turning a thought into language? So the thought is there, and then I form it into words so I can communicate to myself and to the world, and it gets as far as, 'oh I must tell... oh,' and it's not a big crashing emotion, but it's a definite sense, it's a reminder, and that's the brain doing what you just described."

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