Richard Hammond has previously opened up about his first meeting with his wife Mindy (Picture: Getty)
Richard Hammond met his now-estranged wife Mindy 30 years ago, after ‘falling in love at first sight’.
The Top Gear presenter, 55, announced his marriage to the 59-year-old journalist was ‘coming to an end’ after spending Christmas together as a family with their two daughters – Isabelle, 24, and Willow, 21.
In a statement on X, Richard said they have ‘had an amazing 28 years together and two incredible daughters.’
He added: ‘We will always be in each other’s lives and are proud of the family we created.’
The media personality shared that they wouldn’t be ‘commenting further’ and asked for ‘privacy’ as they headed into the new year with a ‘different’ family structure’.
The couple have been through many ups and downs throughout the years from their first meeting, to raising a family to supporting one another after Richard’s 2006 Top Gear accident.
How did Richard Hammond meet wife Mindy?
The pair met in 1995 and married in 2002 (Picture: Joanne Davidson/Shutterstock)
The Grand Tour star met Mindy at a London PR firm in 1995. And first impressions were clearly powerful as Richard recounted in his 2006 autobiography On The Edge: My Story.
‘In an instant, I fell in love with her and realised I had met my soul-mate and best friend for life,’ he wrote.
Soon after the pair struck up a romance and had their first baby in 2001. After getting an intimate wedding in May 2002, they had their second daughter in 2004.
Their marriage has seemingly remained strong over the years, with Richard reflecting on how to maintain a healthy relationship with the Telegraph in June 2024.
He said: ‘Stay connected. It’s not the big times, it’s the small times. It’s not the big family holidays or 21st birthday parties or remembering your anniversaries, or treating yourself to a night in a hotel.
‘It’s going to the supermarket. Stay connected at that level, know what’s in the fridge, know what cleaning products you use in the house, stay connected to that.’
In 2006, Richard had a life-changing accident while filming Top Gear (Picture: Shutterstock)
How Richard Hammond’s Top Gear accident affected their marriage
In 2006, Richard went through a near-death experience after losing control of a vehicle going at around 300mph while filming Top Gear, landing him in a two-week coma.
The accident and recovery took a toll on his relationship, with Mindy opening up about her experience in a candid essay in the Telegraph.
‘It was disconcerting when, early after the crash, Richard looked at me from his hospital bed and said: “You’re lovely, but you’re not my wife”.
‘When I corrected him, he responded: “No, you’re not my wife, my wife is French”. Indeed, when he was allowed home five weeks later, it became clear that Richard’s memory loss was no short-term affliction.’ she recalled.
His recovery also made him prone to mood swings and depression.
‘Inevitably, Richard’s illness affected our marriage, but I was always careful not to tell him that he loved me, or pressure him into thinking so,’ she explained, saying that eventually they were able to ‘rekindle the romance’.
In 2022, Richard revealed that he had had a vivid dream while in the coma which led him to a tree which he eventually turned away from.
He added: ‘[Mindy] had been called into intensive care and told ‘Mrs Hammond, I’m really sorry. Things aren’t looking good… we’re going to lose him.”
‘Apparently she roared and screamed and swore at me “don’t you dare die”.
‘And that’s when I turned back from this tree in my dream. And that’s when I woke.’
In February 2017 he went through another life-threatening car crash while filming The Grand Tour which resulted in him temporarily using a cane.
Richard told the Diary of a CEO podcast in 2023 that he was swearing off dangerous stunts.
‘I’ve a beautiful wife and two beautiful daughters. I’m not going to risk leaving them,’ he said at the time.
Where does Richard Hammond live with his wife?
The family moved into a castle reportedly costing £2million (Picture: Ian West/PA Wire)
The family live in Herefordshire in a reported £2million castle known as Bollitree Castle, purchased in 2008.
The Grade II listed building has undergone lots of renovation over the years.
In 2022, he told Metro: ‘It’s a very old house from the 1400s but in the 1700s the man who lived in it was trying to persuade a Spanish woman to marry him.
‘She said she’d only live in England if it was in a castle so he took the castle down that was in the field next door and nailed it to his barn, turning it into a castle.
‘So the crenellations and gargoyles are authentic but they weren’t there originally. What are the pros and cons of castle life?
‘It’s quite romantic but bits keep falling off and it leaks. A bit like me, I suppose.’
What has Richard Hammond said about his children?
Richard has two daughters and has been candid about being a dad (Picture: Instagram/ izzyhammondx)
The TV star has two children, Izzy and Willow.
In 2013, Richard told The Guardian about his joyous approach to being a dad: ‘It has been amazing having daughters. I never had sisters, so when I had the girls a whole new world opened up.
‘They are fascinating. I hope I can be like my parents and help the children enjoy the lives they have.’
Speaking to The Sunday Times in 2023, Richard admitted he struggled with fatherhood at the beginning.
He said: ‘It sounds ridiculous now given how lucky I’ve been with my job, but there were nights when I drove home from a shoot and parked round the corner until I knew bathtime was finished. I was pretty crappy as a father.’
Meanwhile, Izzy added: ‘I have more appreciation for what Dad does now. He is very particular, he likes things his way.
‘He can be stubborn. It’s hard to get around that and I’m the only one who can make him change his mind – sometimes. At least at home he is outnumbered by women three to one, otherwise God knows what he would be like.’
Izzy and Richard now have a podcast together, Who Are We Now, which they launched in 2024.
The podcast delves into ‘the worlds of mid-life crisis’, what makes a modern man, how to raise daughters, and even question what it means to be a little shorter than average’.
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