Richard Hammond has spoken about the ‘tough’ year he’s had, after he divorced his wife of 23 years.
The former Top Gear presenter, 55, and his wife Mindy, 59, married in 2002, but announced their split at the start of this year.
It was reported at the time that Mindy wanted to secure their £7million Bollitree Castle, a sprawling Grade II-listed property in Penyard, Herefordshire, in the divorce.
The 18th-century home, which the couple purchased in 2008, has six bedrooms, a swimming pool and a whopping 20 acres of land.
However, the opening scene from the upcoming season of Richard Hammond’s Workshop sees the presenter confirm he’s now living in a rented farmhouse in the countryside.
‘Let’s get something out of the way straight away,’ the presenter says in the first episode, the Daily Mail reports.
‘There has been a slight change in my circumstances recently. I got divorced. Which means I now live here.’
The publication compared the farmhouse decor to that of ‘a bland hotel’, with Richard’s grey Jaguar sat outside.
He said: ‘I like it. It’s got amazing views, a place to keep some of my cars and bikes and best of all it’s closer to the workshop.’
But he then added: ‘I’m trying to put a silver lining on this. It’s been a tough few years, but it’s not all bad.’
The couple issued a joint statement in January, which read: ‘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.’
There were reports at the time that the divorce was Mindy’s choice, to which Richard told the Mail: ‘In terms of that particular issue that’s a decision we took, as we said at the time. We put out a statement and it still stands.
‘It’s as I said in the show: “OK, that’s happened. Moving on.”’
As for whether Richard has considered returning to the dating pool, the Grand Tour presenter said he hasn’t got the time at the moment, but it will be a private decision.
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