Mindy Hammond is the wife of Richard Hammond, an English TV presenter known for his work on Top Gear (2002-2015). Mindy met Richard in 1995, and they got married a few years later, in 2002. They share two daughters – Isabella and Willow.
Richard Hammond’s wife is an English newspaper columnist. She was born on 6th July 1965 and so is 58 years old.
Who Is Mindy Hammond?
Mindy Hammond is an English newspaper columnist. She was born as Amanda Etheridge on 6th July 1965; and, she grew up outside Cheltenham in Gloucestershire, England.
She currently works for several publications but is mostly known for making contributions to the Daily Express. Despite her work as a columnist, Mindy only gained public prominence as the wife of Richard Hammond.
How Did Mindy Meet And Marry Richard Hammond?
Mindy met Richard in 1995 while they both worked at a Public Relations firm in London; Mindy worked at the company’s human resources department while Richard worked at the motoring department. The duo started getting along easily due to their common countryside background. Recall that Mindy grew up in the suburbs of Gloucestershire while Richard was raised in Ripon, Yorkshire. Their friendship gradually developed into a romantic relationship and few years later, Richard popped the big question to which Mindy said “yes”.
At the time of their engagement, Mindy Hammond was already carrying their first child, Isabella. Richard has also started hosting Top Gear. In order to take good care of the home, Mindy dropped her job and became a fulltime housewife. The couple subsequently tied the knot on the 4th of May, 2002. They later welcomed their second daughter named Willow in 2003.
The family of four live happily in their 31-acre estate in Ross On Wye, Herefordshire, England. In addition to their family, they also have eight horses, four dogs, two goats, five cats, a rabbit, a peacock, a turkey called Princess, a donkey, and a flock of sheep, ducks and chickens. What a family!
5 Facts About Mindy Hammond
1. Mindy Was Raised By Adoptive Parents
Mindy Hammond’s birth mother, then a teenager, had put her up for adoption just after her birth due to the stigma and pressures that come with teenage/single motherhood back in the 60s. Despite being adopted and raised in a very loving family, Mindy always longed to meet with her real mom.
As an adult, she sought for ways to realize her dreams and after finding her original birth certificate, she wrote to her mother via the address she saw on it. It was only a matter of time before the duo reunited with each other. Mindy since maintains an affectionate relationship with her mum named Pat alongside her three half-sisters.
2. She Got Her Name From Mork & Mindy
Familiar with the 1978 to 1982 ABC sitcom, Mork & Mindy? Well, that’s the TV show that inspired Mindy Hammond’s first name which is originally Amanda. How? It happened that Mindy was dating a guy named Mark at the time the show was running, and so she got the nickname “Mindy” to balance it out. With time, Mindy replaced Amanda and she seems perfectly OK with that.
3. Her Husband Has Cheated Death Twice
Anybody who follows Top Gear and The Grand Tour must be acquainted with Richard Hammond’s history of horrific accidents and life-threatening injuries. In 2006, the car show presenter got into a ghastly auto crash that almost claimed his life while filming Top Gear. The car he was driving in had a tire failure at 288mph, resulting in an almost deadly crash. Hammond sustained very severe head injuries that affected his brain and left him in a coma for two weeks. It subsequently took him some years to have his memory fully come back to normal.
Then on June 10, 2017, Mindy Hammond’s husband had another crash; this one was more horrific than the former. Richard Hammond was filming The Grand Tour in Switzerland when the car he was driving veered off the road and flew down the hill, flipping over severally before bursting into flames just few seconds after he escaped the automobile. Thankfully, the injuries were not as life-threatening as in the first. He only got some bruises and a broken knee.
4. Richard Couldn’t Recognize Mindy After His First Crash
After recovering from a coma in 2006, Richard Hammond didn’t know his wife anymore. He, however, started engaging her in a friendly chat, albeit disagreeing with the fact that she is actually his wife. Richard had said Mindy couldn’t be his wife ‘cos he married a French woman.
Luckily for poor Mindy, Richard gradually came to his senses. The experience, Mindy revealed has helped to rebuild their relationship and make it stronger. Meanwhile, records show that there are people who went through similar experiences as Richard who never came to recognize their wives and families and so moved on with life without them. Heartbreaking.
5. Mindy Has Given Richard A “Last Chance” On Car Racing
Following his second near-fatal crash, Mindy Hammond warned her husband against getting into in yet another serious crash or he’ll stop presenting automotive shows; and according to Mindy, it’ll take just a decade for Richard to fall into her trap. Three strikes, Mindy said, and Richard will be out of TV; and he’s had two already.
