How Richard Hammond tried to ‘rekindle’ 23-year marriage to wife in shock split that left Top Gear star ‘very upset’

RICHARD Hammond is said to have desperately tried to "rekindle" his marriage to wife Mindy before their shock split.

The couple announced today they are separating after an "amazing 28 years together".

Hammond, 55, is understood to have been sleeping in a converted barn on their £7million Bollitree Castle estate in Herefordshire.

And Mindy is said to be demanding the mock castle as part of the split settlement.

After they tied the knot in 2002, the pair snapped up a grade II listed castle in 2008.

It boasts six bedrooms, a swimming pool and 20 acres of land.

A source told the Sun: “Richard is very upset about all this. It seems he has tried hard to rekindle the relationship but to no avail.

“There is no speculation that any third party is involved.”

In a joint statement, they described the news as a "little update" before describing how they spent Christmas together as a family.

"We will still be a family but just structured a bit differently," they added.

Richard and Mindy married the same year he became a presenter on the revamped Top Gear alongside Jeremy Clarkson and James May.

But they had been inseparable from the moment they met each other in 1995 while working at PR firm in London.

In his book On The Edge: My Story, Richard revealed there was an instant attraction between the couple.

He wrote: “In an instant, I fell in love with her and realised I had met my soul-mate and best friend for life.”

The couple have been through a lot together, including Richard's horror car crash in 2006.

The gearhead had been racing a Vampire Dragster at 288mph when the jet-powered car flipped over at RAF Elvington near York, whilst filming for Top Gear.

He spent two horrifying weeks in a coma, while his wife and the hospital nurses tried desperately to wake him.

: "It was disconcerting when, early after the crash, Richard looked at me from his hospital bed and said, 'You're lovely, but you're not my wife'.

"When I corrected him, he responded, 'No, you're not my wife, my wife is French'.

"Indeed, when he was allowed home five weeks later, it became clear that Richard's memory loss was no short-term affliction."

Richard recovered his memory of his wife, but still has struggles with his short-term memory.

He swore off dangerous stunts out of fear of never seeing his wife and their two daughters Isabelle, 24, and Willow, 21, again.

Richard revealed that because of his brain injury he has suffered memory loss, depression and sometimes finds it hard to "connect emotionally".

On June 10, 2017, Richard had to be airlifted to hospital after cheating death again in another crash in Switzerland while filming The Grand Tour.

He was driving a supercar worth £2million for the Amazon show when he lost control before it flipped and then burst into flames.

Luckily, Richard escaped with only a fractured knee.

SHOCK SPLIT

The Sun understands that Daily Express columnist Mindy, 59, demanded the divorce after a source claimed she "wanted him gone".

The news was shared on an X account shared by the pair.

The couple said: "A little update from us; this Christmas we were together as a family and this year we will still be a family but just structured a bit differently.

"Our marriage is coming to end, but we've had an amazing 28 years together and two incredible daughters.

"We will always be in each other's lives and are proud of the family we created.

"We won't be commenting further and sincerely hope that our privacy and that of our children will be respected at this time. With Love, Richard and Mindy."

Richard is understood to be currently staying at rented digs in a pretty village nearby where he runs his ‘Smallest Cog’ car restoration garage.

He had been kipping in a converted barn at the mock medieval castle where the couple keep a stable of thoroughbred horses.

Mindy is proposing Richard keeps their holiday home in Buttermere in the Lake District, and his flat in London, as part of their settlement agreement.

But she is also said to have asked for a share in their horses, and an annual stipend of £500,000.

Mindy has further requested a half share in his businesses; including the Smallest Cog and their TV production company Chimp Productions, of which she is a director.

Despite Richard's on screen presence, the pair have largely kept their relationship, and two daughters, out of the limelight.

Their eldest daughter Izzy works alongside her dad at his garage and the due record episodes for their podcast Who We Are Now.

Meanwhile, younger sister Willow is a keen horsewoman and lives separately.

It's estimated their father has a net worth of around £70million.

Richard, known as ‘The Hamster’ on the show, has an impressive car collection including a Ford Mustang, Porsche, Lotus Esprit Sport and a 1931 Lagona, as well as a Bentley.

In 2009 he treated himself to a £150K helicopter that he used to commute to and from his £2.5m Herefordshire home.

He recently bought a £170,000 convertible Porsche 911 Turbo S with the personal plate DICK H which he shows off in his social media videos.

Richard found fame on local radio before landing the plum job on Top Gear and going on to present The Grand Tour on Amazon for a reported £7million salary.

He also presented Brainiac and Total Wipeout.