Richard Hammond has revealed he worries that a past brain injury could lead to early-onset dementia, admitting he is "scared to death" about taking a test to assess his brain's condition.
The former Grand Tour star, 56, suffered a brain injury when he crashed his car at 320mph at an airfield in 2006. He had another crash in 2017, barely escaping his supercar before it burst into flames.
Worries over symptoms
Speaking on the High Performance podcast with Jake Humphrey and Damian Hughes, Hammond said: "The brain injury is with me forever, probably, and I do worry that it will lead to early-onset dementia. I very much hope not, but it's entirely possible that it could."
When asked if he would go for a scan, he replied: "No. I'm scared to death to do it. But I absolutely should. I'm honestly too scared." He added: "I do lose stuff a lot, I do forget stuff, but that's probably because I'm 56 and not concentrating. But I should."
Fear of results
Hammond compared the prospect to his annual MOT, saying: "I'm bad enough when I go for my annual MOT, where you go and get mauled by a doctor. I don't like getting the results from that. I wouldn't like the results from a brain scan."
He continued: "I wouldn't want to know that's what was coming, would I? To be fair, if it's happening, you're less aware, but it's a bloody struggle. Some people are lucky, and they're happy. I'm just selfishly scared [of the scan]. And my daughters, I don't want to let them down. It's going to be primarily difficult for them. I'd have to tell them. But maybe I should."
Reflection on 2006 crash
Hammond, who split from his wife Mindy in 2025, reflected on his 2006 car crash last month, admitting he thought he was "going to die". He took to Instagram to thank emergency workers on the 20th anniversary of the accident, writing: "20 years ago today, I came to an abrupt stop upside down in a Yorkshire field, convinced I was about to die."
He described the incident: "A front tyre had blown on the jet-powered dragster I had been driving at over 300mph. I had pulled the lever to release the parachute and done my best to steer the car away from disaster, but disaster was, it seemed, my fate and having done everything I could do avert it, I gave myself over to that fate."
Hammond said he "didn't scream" during the incident and said it "wasn't frightening", adding that "it simply occurred to me that the next thing on my to do list was to die". He added: "I am only here today to note this anniversary and write these words because of the work of the many people involved in rescuing me from the shattered car, flying me to hospital and treating me there."
After leaving Top Gear with co-hosts Jeremy Clarkson and James May in 2015, Hammond reunited with them for Prime Video's The Grand Tour. They presented the show until 2024, with Francis Bourgeois, James Engelsman and Thomas Holland taking over presenting duties for the new series.
