Richard Hammond - The Lowdown Trivia Quiz

Answer: Birmingham

Richard was born on 19th December 1969 in Solihull, West Midlands, which is only nine miles from Birmingham city centre. It is one of the more affluent areas of the region. His family later moved to Ripon, North Yorkshire. He was the oldest of three boys, and describes himself as having an adventurous streak from a young age.

Answer: Local radio

Richard started his career on BBC Radio North Yorkshire as a fledgling radio reporter. He was aged eighteen at the time and admits himself that he had a lot to learn. He moved around several local radio stations, mainly in the north of England, before landing his dream job with 'Top Gear' in 2002.

Answer: Amanda

Richard met Amanda Etheridge during a brief spell doing a 'proper job' (as he describes it himself in his book) as a PR officer. Mindy was working in the office and Richard only found the courage to ask her out via a third person. They married in 2002, two years after the birth of their first daughter.

Answer: Men and Motors

In his autobiography, Richard describes his audition with Jeremy Clarkson, and how it felt like a rookie racer being asked to drive with a formula one driver. When the telephone call came offering him the job, he was convinced that he had actually heard the words 'Sorry, you haven't been lucky this time'. 'Men and Motors' ran from 1996 until 2010 and appeared only on digital television. 'Fifth Gear' ran on Channel 5 (now just 5) and was presented by Tiff Needell, among others. 'Deals on Wheels' began on Channel 4 in 1997 and 'Pulling Power' on ITV's Central region in 1996, both programmes being presented by Mike Brewer.

Answer: Leeds General Infirmary

On 20th September 2006, Richard was driving a Vampire dragster at RAF Elvington, near York. On the final run of the day, a front tyre failed, and the vehicle overturned at an estimated speed of 288 mph. He was airlifted to Leeds hospital, with serious brain injuries and remained in a coma for several days.

He has made a remarkable recovery from the crash, although he suffers ongoing problems with his memory and depression.

Answer: On the Edge

The book was published in the autumn of 2007, and covered his early life and career. The main focus of the book was the high speed crash of 2006, and most of the book was devoted to the events leading up to the crash and Richard's slow recovery. The middle chapters were written by his wife, Mindy, who described Richard's condition immediately following the crash, and his gradual return to health.

Answer: Sky

The programme ran until 2008 and was cancelled after series six. Richard left after the fourth series, as his commitments to 'Top Gear' (2002) left him too little spare time. His co-presenter was Jon Tickle, who came to prominence as a contestant in 'Big Brother', a reality television programme. Vic Reeves took over as presenter for the final two series of the show.

Answer: Morrisons

Richard has appeared in adverts for Morrisons in both 2008 and 2009, with the company stating that they believe he appeals to both men and women. All the supermarkets named have used famous names. Sainsburys is most associated with the celebrity chef, Jamie Oliver, who has starred in adverts for them for several years. Tesco have used the Spice Girls and Asda have made adverts with Sharon Osbourne, among others.

Answer: Argentina

The show was recorded near Buenos Aires, and consisted of contestants tackling a giant obstacle course. This usually entailed them landing in water and/or mud, and Richard provided a running commentary as the participants made their way around. His part of the show was done in the UK, while his co-presenter, Amanda Byram, was on site to interview and encourage those taking part.

Answer: Hamster

Jeremy Clarkson, in particular, teases Richard unmercifully about his diminutive stature. The 'Hamster' nickname refers partly to his name and partly to his size. Richard is 5ft 7in tall, but looks much shorter when presenting 'Top Gear' on television as Clarkson is about 6ft 5in and James May is 6ft tall. Clarkson is known as 'Jezza', which is only a version of his first name and May is called 'Captain Slow', as he is considered to be the most careful driver of the three of them.