Entertainment

Richard Hammond lifts the lid on his biggest fear after near-fatal accident

Richard Hammond opens up about what keeps him worried after tragic accident

Published September 07, 2026
Richard Hammond lifts the lid on his biggest fear after near-fatal accident
Richard Hammond lifts the lid on his biggest fear after near-fatal accident

Richard Hammond recently got candid and opened up about how his brain injury will lead to dementia.

In 2006, the 56-year-old English television presenter, journalist, and author suffered a near-fatal accident as he crashed a jet-powered dragster at high speed when he was filming BBC show, Top Gear. He lost consciousness and was in coma for 15 days.

While giving an interview to The Sunday Times newspaper, Hammond revealed that he has been living in constant worry since his horrible accident because of the impending danger of dementia as a result of his injury.

He told the outlet, "Brain-wise, yeah. I mean, I worry. I’m scared. Of course. That was a big impact. Will it lead to onset of dementia?”

The Total Wipeout UK star added, "I don’t know. Every time I lose my keys, and I do lose things, I think: 'Oh Christ, is that brain injury, or is that just I’m 56? And we all do it. So yeah, there is a legacy from that. I will carry that for ever.”

It is pertinent to mention that he had another accident in 2017 while filming The Grand Tour, which crushed his knee.

Richard Hammond has a metal plate along with 13 pins in his knee and will have to undergo another operation in the future; however, he is delaying it as long as he can.

Areeba Sheikh
Areeba Sheikh is a reporter specialising in trending topics, with a focus on music, entertainment culture, and viral moments. For the past two years she has been covering wide artists, releases, and digital conversations, blending storytelling with trend analysis to capture how online buzz, fandom, and pop culture shape global audience engagement.