Richard Hammond has confessed that watching his daughter Izzy crash a Formula E car into a barrier at the Jeddah circuit earlier this year left him feeling uneasy, particularly given his own brush with death two decades ago.
The 25-year-old walked away from the incident without injury, but the parallels with her father’s infamous 2006 Top Gear accident, in which he crashed a jet-powered dragster at nearly 300mph, were impossible to ignore.
“It’s a little uncomfortable because I know from personal experience that things can and do go wrong,” the 56-year-old told the Metro.
Mr Hammond’s near-fatal smash remains one of the most dramatic moments in British television history, making his daughter’s high-speed collision all the more nerve-wracking for the former presenter.
Richard Hammond spoke candidly about his daughter following in his footsteps
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PADespite his anxieties, Mr Hammond made clear he has no intention of standing in Izzy’s way as she forges her own path in the spotlight.
“I’m a father, like any other father. I don’t want to see my little girl hurt, but I don’t want to hold her back from opportunities that present themselves,” he said.
The former Grand Tour host expressed nothing but admiration for his daughter’s determination to build a career independently.
“She’s carving her own career, so I can sit back and watch her do that and only applaud,” he added.
Richard Hammond said he feels ‘uncomfortable’ watching his daughter carve out her TV career
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Mr Hammond is also set to make a brief return to screens alongside Jeremy Clarkson and James May, with the trio appearing in a cameo on the revamped Grand Tour.
The series is now fronted by James Engelsman, Thomas Holland and Francis Bourgeois.
He was tight-lipped about the details, saying only: “We might pass through fleetingly, yes.”
When pressed for more, he joked: “No I’d be shot immediately. I’d be dead. I can’t be talking about that.”
Izzy Hammond crashed a Formula E car into a barrier at the Jeddah circuit earlier this year left Richard feeling uneasy, particularly given his own brush with death two decades ago
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He was generous in his support for the programme’s new line-up, repeatedly wishing them well.
“We had our time with it. That’s great. That was our Grand Tour, but The Grand Tour can go on with other people doing it, and I wish them all the very best with it. Of course, I do,” he said.
Mr Hammond also revealed he would be open to reviving Total Wipeout, declaring: “I loved it.”
Reflecting on Top Gear’s enduring cultural impact, Mr Hammond said he takes great satisfaction in having contributed to something that became a genuine touchstone for audiences worldwide.
Richard Hammond made clear he has no intention of standing in Izzy’s way as she forges her own path in the spotlight
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“We set out to make a car show all those years ago. It just grew into something that nobody foresaw, and I was really privileged to be a little part of that,” he said.
He admitted that encounters with fans who have followed the programme since childhood leave him feeling both proud and slightly aged.
“It makes me feel old because often they’re fully fledged adults in their own right. But there we are,” he said.
Mr Hammond also voiced his enthusiasm for the BBC show’s potential return amid speculation that Jimmy Carr could be involved in a reboot, arguing that motoring programmes remain relevant and necessary.