Richard Hammond turned down BBC Top Gear without Jeremy Clarkson

Summarised from 2 outlets · Updated 23 Oct, 16:39 · Archive

Richard Hammond declined a BBC offer to continue Top Gear after Jeremy Clarkson's departure, saying the show needed all three hosts.

Richard Hammond turned down the BBC's offer to continue Top Gear after Jeremy Clarkson was dismissed from the show for assaulting a TV producer at Simonstone Hall hotel in the Yorkshire Dales. Hammond and fellow host James May decided not to proceed without Clarkson.

Hammond, 56, told the High Performance podcast that Top Gear's success 'only happened because we were all together'. He said: 'I couldn't have done that on my own. So no, we had to stick together.' Without Clarkson, Hammond believed Top Gear would have lost essential elements of its appeal, including 'some of the chaos, lunacy' and the creative process that made the show distinctive.

In the same interview, Hammond discussed a serious crash he sustained in 2006 while filming for Top Gear. He crashed a jet-powered dragster called Vampire at nearly 320mph at the former RAF Elvington airbase near York, sustaining head injuries that he described as 'with me forever'. Although he recovered and returned to the show in early 2007, Hammond said he fears the brain injury could lead to early onset dementia but is 'scared to death' to get tested for the condition.

How it is being reported

• Richard Hammond reveals why he turned down BBC after Top Gear endedRichard Hammond has revealed why he turned down an offer from the BBC to continue Top Gear after Jeremy Clarkson was sacked from the show.The Press (York) · 23 Oct, 16:00
• Richard Hammond reveals why he turned down BBC after Top Gear endedRichard Hammond has revealed why he turned down an offer from the BBC to continue Top Gear after Jeremy Clarkson was sacked from the show.Gazette & Herald (Malton) · 23 Oct, 16:00

In this story: Richard Hammond · Jeremy Clarkson · James May · BBC · Top Gear · RAF Elvington · Yorkshire Dales · York

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