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Richard Hammond has broken his silence about his divorce , confirming that he and his wife Mindy are parting ways after 23 years of marriage. The former Top Gear host, aged 55, opened up about the challenging past year, which saw not only the end of his marriage but also the conclusion of his latest television programme. While acknowledging that "things change," Richard drew a parallel between the end of his marriage and his notorious car crash in 2006, an incident that left him in a coma for two weeks and resulted in brain injuries. Richard conceded that there were similarities between these difficult periods in his life. He said: "Whatever happens to us, we can decide. Maybe not in the moment. I didn't decide, as the car was going over at 320mph 'I'm going to make this a good thing', but there came a moment when I thought, 'right, my reaction to this is going to be positive." In an interview with the Daily Mail, he continued: "That's what you have to do. Well, it's what I do." His comments come eight months after the couple announced their separation. At the time, they released a joint statement, reports the Mirror . The statement 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." In Richard's new series, Richard Hammond's Workshop , he immediately addresses his split. He informs viewers that a "slight change in my circumstances" means he has relocated. "I like it. It's got amazing views," he said. "A place to keep some of my cars and bikes and best of all it's closer to the workshop. I'm trying to put a silver lining on this. It's been a tough few years, but it's not all bad." He confessed to the publication that he still can't envisage himself in another relationship at this stage. He acknowledged he has also been too occupied with filming to have considered it. Richard and Mindy's divorce occurred during a period when he also lost his father to cancer at the age of 80. He passed away in October last year in a hospice. The presenter kept his dad Alan's death private until after New Year. And he confesses he sometimes still forgets his father isn't there anymore. "It's the strangest thing," he said. "Something will be happening and I will think, "I must go and tell dad. Then I realise, 'Oh. I can't'. My brothers feel the same thing." His remarks mirror what he had previously revealed about how, whilst the sorrow of losing his father was overwhelming, it often remained a subtle presence in everyday life. Speaking on his podcast earlier this year, he said: "When it hits me is when I'm pottering about doing something often inconsequential, or thinking about something big, my brain has already formed the thought, 'oh, I must tell dad' and I only sort of get... "You know when you're turning a thought into language? So the thought is there, and then I form it into words so I can communicate to myself and to the world, and it gets as far as, 'oh I must tell... oh,' and it's not a big crashing emotion, but it's a definite sense, it's a reminder, and that's the brain doing what you just described."
