Top Gear host Richard Hammond has reportedly begged the BBC to air footage of the 280 mph dragster car crash that nearly killed him. Hammond worries the accident may be used as an excuse to cancel the show, which the BBC has put on hold indefinitely. “Richard could not stand to feel he was to blame for the demise of the show he loves,” a friend said.
“He’s fuming they’ve postponed the next series because he fears that’s the first step towards the BBC pulling the plug permanently. He’s terrified they’re going to axe it while he’s stuck in hospital.”
The new season of Top Gear was slated to begin on October 8th. Hammond says he wants the BBC to air the crash footage, and even allow him to share his commentary on the accident. “He’ll do anything to keep Top Gear going, even if it means broadcasting from his hospital bed.”



09/26, 5:41 PM
posted by:
(V)ike
Hardcore little guy. More power to him!
09/26, 5:58 PM
posted by:
fromalk
that’s exactly why I love this guy and his way of presenting
09/26, 6:13 PM
posted by:
maverick
Its great to see someone stand up for their work like this. Except for the British accents, this is the best car show on tv.
09/26, 6:20 PM
posted by:
1c3d0g
I guess this is the same thing poor old Steve would’ve wanted. Men like these are irreplaceable.
09/26, 6:32 PM
posted by:
A4
i love top gear and hammond is the man. if BBC cans it youre always welcome over here in America. I’m sure Discovery will pick it up.
09/26, 7:34 PM
posted by:
mblommel
Way to go Hamster! He’s determined to not let the safety nazis have their way even if he has to it from his hospital bed.
09/26, 7:46 PM
posted by:
Toy Yoda
Wow!!! It seems like Hamster has alot of spunk in him. I hope he gets his way, and I hope he recovers fully!!
09/26, 8:30 PM
posted by:
Dav is Dead
damn right. they should.
09/26, 9:07 PM
posted by:
InvisibleEcho
I don’t know what I think of the show, but you gotta respect his dedication. If I were in the hospital after a 280mph crash all I would be thinking about how to get a sponge bath from the hot nurse and avoiding the yucky hospital food as much as I can.
…actually, they could probably put that in the show as well as his commentary.
09/26, 9:56 PM
posted by:
Jimbo - G Mill$
wonder why the BBC would even want to put the show down. i’m in the US but i remember hearing top gear have more then enough people that tune in.
09/26, 10:17 PM
posted by:
Endurancevm
Damn Health and safety! damn BBC…Props to Hammond, he truly loves the show.
09/26, 11:07 PM
posted by:
Zhenya_Gatech
Hammond is an awesome tv personality. I’m not sure what they can do from the hospital bed, but maybe they could race around in power wheel chairs! Best wishes to Hammond and a fast and full recovery.
09/27, 3:47 AM
posted by:
nowei
I love Top Gear, and would be crushed if it got cancelled.
I will however be the voice of reason. As far as I’ve heard, the only people saying anything about the show being cancelled are Hammond and Clarkson. And the show’s producer has threatened to quit if the BBC makes them tone down the show.
I mean, Hamster was nearly killed in a 280mph jet-propelled dragster crash. I think it merits investigation without calling the investigators nazis.
That being said, I definitely agree with Hammond that the footage should be shown, and if it’s actually something he wants to do at this point, he should be allowed to broadcast from his hospital bed. Or tape a segment from his hospital bed, as Top Gear isn’t live.
Sadly, as much as I love Discovery, they could never do Top Gear.
A) If you’ve watched the show, you’ll probably agree that none of the presenters would be too keen on moving across the pond.
B) I’ve never seen anything on Discovery with the same quality of production values as on Top Gear. And that’s not meant as an insult to Discovery, Top Gear just consistently blows my mind not only with what’s presented but also with how it’s presented.
/no
09/27, 7:43 AM
posted by:
JohnnyBlazE
Hammy rocks… one really bad crash in so many years doesn’t warrant cancelling the show… Hammond should get a bloody medal for his loyalty to the automotive world.
09/27, 8:58 AM
posted by:
Clarissa Posh Totty
It doesn’t just merit investigation, it is the law that the accident requires investigation by the Health and Safety Executive.
Clarkson conveniently ignores this fact to further his own right wing agenda
09/27, 11:06 AM
posted by:
Brian
Interesting….
09/27, 1:37 PM
posted by:
eam3
How are his teeth?
09/27, 4:34 PM
posted by:
The Stig
The show must go on… exactly as it has been.
09/27, 6:14 PM
posted by:
theshadow
They’d be crazy to cancel the show over that crash…I mean after all it was a friggin’ jet-powered dragster running alone on a closed circuit at 280mph with a full support and rescue crew on site. And a freak accident at that; just prior to the mishap he had done a few runs in a row without a hitch.
Quite remote from anything to do with ‘public safety’ isn’t it???
And gotta say – that Hammond is the bona fide 100% real deal. More power to him!
09/27, 6:16 PM
posted by:
interphase
Before assuming Clakson is just being reactionary, it might be worth waiting for the official story to come out. He stated before that particular piece that there were voices in the BBC who were instantly considering canning the programme as part of a pre-emptive damage limitation exercise should the HSE find anything out of sorts in their investigation. The fact that the Beeb have also cancelled the ‘Best Of’ shows demonstrates that they’re taking the ‘dangerous glorification of speed’ lobby seriously, and don’t want to be caught showing the programme if the HSE finds any oversight or poor practice on their part contributed to the accident. I fully believe Andy WIlmanr is an honourable and genuine man and would put his job on the line to safeguard the show, but the BBC have a history of being just as reactionary as Clarkson, and in a far more insidious way – Clarkson may be outspoken but he’s open and honest with it, which historically is more than you can say for some of Auntie’s top brass…
09/28, 4:40 PM
posted by:
auto.observer
Yes, hampster!
fight the good fight!
09/29, 8:23 AM
posted by:
Aston_
GO Hamster GO~!