Hammond made celebrity hair history in 2007. He secured over 45% of votes in a Brylcreem Best Hair on TV poll and was crowned the man with the very best locks on the box. Hair-larious!

Although rock-star fame eluded him as bass guitarist of his childhood band, Hammond is a pretty accomplished strummer and still likes to pluck his instrument in private when he gets the time.

Hammond has a tiny chopper. Since purchasing a second-hand Robinson R44 helicopter that he dubbed “a blender with a matchbox slung underneath” in 2009, he has become absolutely addicted to mastering the skyways.

I Like the Way by Bodyrockers is one of Hammond’s all-time favourite driving songs, much to the disdain of his Top Gear pal Jezza Clarko, who hates it.

Richard had a rather sheepish start to his media career – literally. One of his first gigs was announcing the list of sheep for sale on the BBC radio show Lamb Bank. Bah-rilliant!

Hammond is a proper Doctor Dolittle. He shares his countryside family home with a whole heap of animals, including horses, dogs, cats, a rabbit, chickens and sheep.

Prior to Richard’s near-fatal dragster crash in 2006, he hated the taste of celery, but was totally miffed to discover that he had acquired a taste for the vegetable after the accident.

Dad of two Richard loves his little ones way more than any car. He once abandoned his Porsche 911 in a water-logged traffic jam and sprinted 16 miles home through the night (it took him two and a half hours) just so that he could be there to wish his daughter happy birthday as soon as she woke up.

Flunking his first driving test for zealously accelerating on the approach to an amber traffic light is Richard’s biggest disappointment in life so far.

Richard’s favourite word in the whole wide world is ‘fiasco'.