Transcript

Think of a guy daring enough to let himself get strapped to the top of a plane. That is exactly who Richard Hammond is, a crazy car fanatic Brit, who has won over hearts of not only his countrymen but everybody across the globe as the host of Top Gear. Willingly or unwillingly, the one-third of the famous trio has to be the one who is doing all the stunts like say,  climbing up a water dam in a 64 years old Land Rover.

Nicknamed “The Hamster,” Hammond has been on TV for last 20 years and most of those years with his buddies, Jeremy Clarkson and James May. The nicest guy among the trio, fans just loved him watching him on ‘Top Gear’ and now in his Amazon show, The Grand Tour. While devoted fans might know a lot about him through his appearances, here are some facts about Hammond you probably did not know.

Before diving in, take some time to subscribe to our channel and click the bell icon to be a part of our notification squad.

1. Expelled from School

Though you have often seen him as a humble guy with a calm demeanor, he hasn’t always been a good boy. This fact that he was suspended from Ripon Grammar School when he was 15 might come as a surprise. He was a cheeky boy in school and often was in principal’s office.

Expulsion from school may sometimes lead to removal from the state education system. Hey hey, don’t go that far. Hammond’s case certainly wasn’t that worse. He later graduated from Harrogate College of Art and Technology.

2. Never thought of appearing on TV

In 2002, he interviewed for ‘Top Gear‘ but quickly forgot about that because he wasn’t optimistic about being on national television.

He was working in radio at that time and couldn’t show up as a typical television presenter for a while. However, later, he went on cementing his place in viewers’ heart and today, we cannot imagine Top Gear without Hammond. Well, we can, it happened, but it isn’t the same anymore.

3. Relationship with Jeremy Clarkson

You would have thought that almost two decades of onscreen collaboration of the show’s trio might have turned into an off-screen brotherhood. But, that’s doesn’t seem the case. Richard and Jeremy have never addressed each other as friends. Instead, their relationship is truly professional.

In an interview with Telegraph, Hammond stated that the reason why they are so good at what they do is that they don’t like each other. There are a few things they agree on, but Hammond has always been critical of Jeremy’s taste of cars. It’s a good thing that they have stuck together through the tribulations, and that’s enough to define their friendship, even if they don’t want to admit it.

4. Is an avid car collector:

There’s no way one can be a car presenter for more than a decade if he doesn’t have genuine love for automobiles. Hammond’s collection features some cool cars and motorcycles in the world.

His favorite car is Porsche GT3 RS, which is estimated to worth around $220,000. The 1986 Ford Mustang, priced around $55,00, is also in his collection. His other cars include a Lagonda, Bentley S1 and Opel Kadett.

5. His nickname

If you are a fan of the show, you probably know that the guys are called with their nickname once in a while. Clarkson is called Jezza and May is called Captain Slow but Hammond’s nickname, The Hamster, is probably the cutest.

In an interview with GrandTour, Hammond admitted that he doesn’t like the name and he would rather prefer to be called “The Hawk.” Zog Ziegler gave him his nickname from his last name and short stature.

Fun fact: In an episode of Top Gear, he actually tried to chew cardboard in the true spirit of a hamster. Maybe, his nickname will follow him to his grave.

Which of these facts did you find interesting? Let us know in the comments. Don’t forget to like, share and subscribe to our channel for more videos.

Transcript

Think of a guy daring enough to let himself get strapped to the top of a plane. That is exactly who Richard Hammond is, a crazy car fanatic Brit, who has won over hearts of not only his countrymen but everybody across the globe as the host of Top Gear. Willingly or unwillingly, the one-third of the famous trio has to be the one who is doing all the stunts like say,  climbing up a water dam in a 64 years old Land Rover.

Nicknamed “The Hamster,” Hammond has been on TV for last 20 years and most of those years with his buddies, Jeremy Clarkson and James May. The nicest guy among the trio, fans just loved him watching him on ‘Top Gear’ and now in his Amazon show, The Grand Tour. While devoted fans might know a lot about him through his appearances, here are some facts about Hammond you probably did not know.

Before diving in, take some time to subscribe to our channel and click the bell icon to be a part of our notification squad.

1. Expelled from School

Though you have often seen him as a humble guy with a calm demeanor, he hasn’t always been a good boy. This fact that he was suspended from Ripon Grammar School when he was 15 might come as a surprise. He was a cheeky boy in school and often was in principal’s office.

Expulsion from school may sometimes lead to removal from the state education system. Hey hey, don’t go that far. Hammond’s case certainly wasn’t that worse. He later graduated from Harrogate College of Art and Technology.

2. Never thought of appearing on TV

In 2002, he interviewed for ‘Top Gear‘ but quickly forgot about that because he wasn’t optimistic about being on national television.

He was working in radio at that time and couldn’t show up as a typical television presenter for a while. However, later, he went on cementing his place in viewers’ heart and today, we cannot imagine Top Gear without Hammond. Well, we can, it happened, but it isn’t the same anymore.

3. Relationship with Jeremy Clarkson

You would have thought that almost two decades of onscreen collaboration of the show’s trio might have turned into an off-screen brotherhood. But, that’s doesn’t seem the case. Richard and Jeremy have never addressed each other as friends. Instead, their relationship is truly professional.

In an interview with Telegraph, Hammond stated that the reason why they are so good at what they do is that they don’t like each other. There are a few things they agree on, but Hammond has always been critical of Jeremy’s taste of cars. It’s a good thing that they have stuck together through the tribulations, and that’s enough to define their friendship, even if they don’t want to admit it.

4. Is an avid car collector:

There’s no way one can be a car presenter for more than a decade if he doesn’t have genuine love for automobiles. Hammond’s collection features some cool cars and motorcycles in the world.

His favorite car is Porsche GT3 RS, which is estimated to worth around $220,000. The 1986 Ford Mustang, priced around $55,00, is also in his collection. His other cars include a Lagonda, Bentley S1 and Opel Kadett.

5. His nickname

If you are a fan of the show, you probably know that the guys are called with their nickname once in a while. Clarkson is called Jezza and May is called Captain Slow but Hammond’s nickname, The Hamster, is probably the cutest.

In an interview with GrandTour, Hammond admitted that he doesn’t like the name and he would rather prefer to be called “The Hawk.” Zog Ziegler gave him his nickname from his last name and short stature.

Fun fact: In an episode of Top Gear, he actually tried to chew cardboard in the true spirit of a hamster. Maybe, his nickname will follow him to his grave.

Which of these facts did you find interesting? Let us know in the comments. Don’t forget to like, share and subscribe to our channel for more videos.