Richard Hammond opens up about new relationship following split from wife of 23 years: ‘The best thing’
Richard Hammond has spoken publicly for the first time about his romance with therapist girlfriend Kiki Glen, describing the relationship as the highlight of his life right now.
The 56-year-old former Top Gear presenter, who was first seen with Ms Glen outside Waitrose in June, opened up about his new relationship.
“It’s the best thing that’s going on for me,” he told The Times.
“I played golf three times this week. I’ve taken up more serious running, and I’m going to have a go at a small triathlon next year. Which means I’ve had to take up wild swimming.”
Richard Hammond and ex-wife Mindy announced their separation last year | GETTYMr Hammond recounted how Ms Glen enthusiastically suggested they swim in a lake together.
“My partner took one look at the lake, clapped her hands and said, ‘Oh, darling, doesn’t it just make you want to get in?’ No, I spent 40 years avoiding it,” he said. “But sure enough, the next day, both of us are in wetsuits, swimming. And I absolutely loved it.”
Ms Glen’s given name is Keira, though she is universally known as Kiki. She works as a therapist and serves as a governor at Headington Rye school in Oxford.
She is herself a divorcee with two daughters, aged 26 and 24, remarkably close in age to Mr Hammond’s own children, Izzy, 26, and Willow, 23.
Richard Hammond and his daughter Izzy | GETTY
The couple’s relationship began roughly eight months after Mr Hammond’s separation from his ex-wife Mindy. They went public with their romance in June when they were photographed together.
Mr Hammond has embraced a healthier lifestyle since finding love again, with Ms Glen encouraging him towards pursuits like running and open-water swimming.
He has also revealed plans to attempt a small triathlon next year as part of this new chapter.
Ms Hammond and his wife Amanda “Mindy” Etheridge announced the end of their 23-year marriage in January 2025. The couple had wed in May 2002 and share two daughters together.
Richard Hammond opened up about his new relationship
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PAIn a joint statement at the time, Mr Hammond said: “Our marriage is coming to an 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.”
He later described the period as a “year from hell,” calling the breakdown of his marriage “devastating.”
After leaving the family home at Bollitree Castle, near Ross-on-Wye, he initially rented a property before eventually settling in Wales.
The marriage had come under increasing pressure from the lasting effects of two near-fatal crashes during his television career.
Richard Hammond recently said he feels ‘uncomfortable’ watching his daughter carve out her TV career
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GETTYMindy had reportedly cautioned him that he was on his “last chance” eight years before their split was made public.
The presenter’s two serious accidents continue to cast a long shadow over his life.
Speaking to The Times, he admitted to persistent anxiety about the neurological consequences of his 2006 crash, when he lost control of a jet-powered dragster at 300mph during filming for Top Gear, suffering a severe brain injury and spending a fortnight in a coma.
“I’m scared. Of course. That was a big impact. Will it lead to onset of dementia?” he said. “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?'”
Meanwhile, his elder daughter Izzy has carved out her own path as a Formula E racer. She survived a frightening crash of her own earlier this year, leaving her father with understandably conflicted emotions.
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