Richard Hammond set to break silence after marriage split as he returns to job alongside daughter after FOUR months away
RICHARD Hammond looks set to speak out on his split from wife Amanda as he returns to work on his podcast with daughter Izzy.
Yesterday The Grand Tour star, 55, and newspaper columnist Amanda, 59, shared a statement confirming the end of their 23 year marriage.
Richard and Izzy’s Who We Are Now podcast returns this month, four months after series two ended.
It’s likely Richard will acknowledge the split given the popular pod often references the Hammonds’ home life.
A source said: “This is a chance for Richard to touch on what’s been happening in a way that he is in control of the messaging.
“The podcast is all about talking about feelings so it would be odd if he didn’t acknowledge the massive life changes he and his family has been going through, especially as his daughter Izzy is his co-host.”
While the former couple put on a unified front in their statement, The Sun understands Amanda, better known as Mindy, demanded the divorce.
The couple said: “A little update from us; this Christmas we were together as a family and this year we will still be a family but just structured a bit differently.
“Our marriage is coming to 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.
“We won’t be commenting further and sincerely hope that our privacy and that of our children will be respected at this time. With Love, Richard and Mindy.”
It is believed Mindy is asking to keep their £7million Bollitree Castle estate, in Herefordshire, as they draw up divorce settlements.
The source told The Sun: “Richard is very upset about all this. It seems he has tried hard to rekindle the relationship but to no avail.
“There is no speculation that any third party is involved.”
Richard is understood to be currently staying at rented digs in a pretty village nearby where he runs his ‘Smallest Cog’ car restoration garage.
He had been kipping in a converted barn at the mock medieval castle where the couple keep a stable of thoroughbred horses.
Mindy is proposing Richard keeps their holiday home in Buttermere in the Lake District, and his flat in London, as part of their settlement agreement.
But she is also said to have asked for a share in their horses, and an annual stipend of £500,000.
Mindy has further requested a half share in his businesses; including the Smallest Cog and their TV production company Chimp Productions, of which she is a director.
The couple met in 1995 and Richard wrote previously in his 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.”
After they tied the knot in 2002, the pair snapped up a grade II listed Bollitree Castle in 2008.
It boasts six bedrooms, a swimming pool and 20 acres of land.
Despite Richard’s on screen presence, the pair have largely kept their relationship, and two daughters, out of the limelight.
Their eldest daughter Izzy, 24, works alongside her dad at his garage and for their podcast Who We Are Now.
Meanwhile, younger sister Willow, 22, is a keen horsewoman and lives separately, the source revealed.
It’s estimated their father, a former Top Gear legend alongside Jeremy Clarkson and James May, has a net worth of around £70million.
Richard Hammond's career through the decades
By Summer Raemason
Richard was born in Birmingham in 1970 and studied photography, as well as television production.
He kickstarted his career in broadcasting at BBC Radio York.
This saw him land another role at BBC Radio Cumbria, Leeds and Lancashire, before he left in 1995 to follow his passion for cars.
He always dreamt of presenting motoring TV shows but initially took a job working in PR after leaving the BBC.
He was involved in corporate events for clients including the Ferrari Owners’ Club and Renault Sport.
In 1998 he earned his debut motoring TV job on, hosting Motorweek on Satellite channel Men & Motors.
This opened up many more avenues on screen and eventually he found his way to presenting Top Gear in 2002.
The household show garnered up to six million viewers at its peak.
While filming with Top Gear Richard crashed in a jet-powered traveling at over 300 mph.
The dad-of-two is one of the only people to have ever survived such a horror smash.
Hammond has also hosted science and nature programmes including Should I Worry About? on BBC One.
Other TV projects for the BBC included being the face of Battle of the Geeks, Time Commanders and featuring as a team captain on Petrol Heads.
He also presented ITV’s eponymous Richard Hammond’s Five O’Clock Show and Sky One’s Brainiac.