TV
Presenter, Broadcaster and Author
Born in Birmingham in 1970, Hammond studied
photography and television production before
beginning his broadcasting career at BBC Radio
York.
From
there, Richard went on to work at BBC Radio
Cumbria, Leeds and Lancashire, before leaving
in 1995 to follow his dream of working in motoring.
His ultimate ambition was always to present
motoring programmes on TV.
After
leaving the BBC, he initially took a job in
PR and was involved in corporate events for
clients including the Ferrari Owners' Club and
Renault Sport. But it was not until 1998 that
he was given his first motoring job on TV, presenting
Motorweek on Satellite channel Men & Motors.
He
then proceeded to work on a number of different
motoring and lifestyle programmes for cable
and satellite channels before realising his
dream of presenting Top Gear in 2002. Hammond
says that BBC Two's Top Gear, the show which
has made him a household name, is "the
show you aspire to present".
The
show currently attracts between four and six
million viewers. It is regarded as a cult success,
and Hammond has often been the butt of jokes
from co-presenter Jeremy Clarkson.
It
was whilst filming with Top Gear that Richard
crashed in a jet-powered traveling at over 300
mph. Richard is one of the only people to have
ever survived such a crash.
Hammond
has also presented science and nature programmes
such as Should I Worry About? on BBC One, billed
as his "a journey to find the truth behind
the headlines".
Other
TV projects for the BBC have included presenting
inventing programme Battle of the Geeks, sci-fi
game show Time Commanders and appearing as a
team captain on comedy motoring quiz Petrol
Heads.
He
also presented ITV's eponymous Richard Hammond's
Five O'Clock Show. Until recently, he also hosted
Sky One's Brainiac.
Unsurprisingly,
Hammond is a genuine car enthusiast, owning
among other vehicles, a 1957 Land Rover, a 1969
Dodge Charger and a Porsche 928.
Richard
lives just outside Cheltenham, England with
his wife and two daughters.
