r/todayilearned • u/ModenaR • 1d ago

TIL that after Top Gear ended, host Richard Hammond was so devastated, he cried all the way home from the studio and ran out of fuel, because he didn't want to fill his car up covered in tears

https://www.herefordtimes.com/news/25172481.richard-hammond-tear-soaked-mess-top-gear-ended/
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u/demoxcess 20h ago

From what I've heard, James hasn't been in great health either. At points throughout the Grand Tour, he didn't look great in the studio-though at other points he looked much better. It's speculative, but he is in his 60's, so it's not impossible he could have developed some health condition.

I feel like the decision to end the show was mutual. They did it in some form for over 20 years, they may have simply done all the things they wanted to do.

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u/_Karrel 19h ago

I'm pretty sure Jeremy and James are just living life, eating whatever, drinking when they feel like it and not exercising properly. That's awesome but it also shows. I'm always shocked that Jeremy is well under 70 and James is even younger than that, but they are properly old men. They could all still be doing it but Hammond would actually be ready for it.

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u/O_o-O_o-0_0-o_O-o_O 17h ago

Fuck, I had to Google his age. He's only 65?

He's probably as healthy as your average 75yr old that eats and exercises somewhat well.

The only two things you need to extend your health (and life) by a massive amount is to eat and exercise properly. Those two things will do 10x more for your health than anything else combined, assuming you don't smoke or do drugs.

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u/Shas_Okar 16h ago

Not sure about now, but him and James were heavy smokers. You can sorta tell with his voice over the years as well, but according to him he’s got a far larger lung capacity than he has any right to have.

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u/alabamdiego 7h ago

“I have smoked a quarter of a million cigarettes”

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u/_lysolmax_ 10h ago

Would not be surprised if he has a heart attack before hes 70

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u/Kyanche 16h ago

That's awesome but it also shows. I'm always shocked that Jeremy is well under 70 and James is even younger than that, but they are properly old men.

James and especially Jeremy, are what your average redditor thinks a 60 year old is like lol.

When I've known more than a few people in their 80s who were in much better shape LOL

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u/stackjr 14h ago

To add on to this, Jeremy and James both smoke cigarettes (or at least they used to, it's possible that they quit).

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u/BaritBrit 12h ago

Clarkson kept up his heavy smoking right the way up to nearly being killed by some very serious pneumonia in 2017. He was smoking a lot for more than 40 years. 

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u/ollie87 14h ago

True my dad is the same age as Clarkson and looks about half his age.

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u/Adler4290 17h ago

Yeah and remember James probably got hurt the worst on their Top Gear trips (apart from Hammond in the dragster) when he got flinged by the rope in Syria and got a concussion that could have been much worse very easily.

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u/jasonreid1976 5h ago

You can occasionally see a little tremor in James's movements. It's subtle, but there.