Richard Mark Hammond was born on 19 December 1969 in Solihull, Warwickshire, England. His mother Eileen and father Alan Hammond  who later ran a probate business raised Richard as the eldest of three sons. In the mid-1980s the family relocated to Ripon, North Yorkshire. Growing up near Birmingham’s car industry gave Hammond an early fascination with all things mechanical.

He attended Blossomfield Infant School in Solihull before moving to Ripon Grammar School, then went on to Harrogate College of Art and Technology (1986–1988). He did not attend university, instead launching his career in local BBC radio across Yorkshire, Lancashire, and Cumbria.

Hammond’s television breakthrough came in 2002 when he joined the relaunched BBC Two series Top Gear alongside Jeremy Clarkson and James May. The trio turned it into a global phenomenon, broadcast in over 100 countries. He also hosted Brainiac: Science Abuse (2003–2006), Total Wipeout (2009–2012), Planet Earth Live (2012), and various science and engineering documentaries. In 2016 he reunited with Clarkson and May on Amazon Prime’s The Grand Tour, which ran until 2024.

Hammond currently lives in South Wales, having purchased a Georgian manor house near Abergavenny following his 2025 separation from his wife Mindy. He continues to present Richard Hammond’s Workshop on Discovery+, running a real classic car restoration business called The Smallest Cog in Herefordshire.