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Top Gear Series 18 to rebrand the ‘cute little man’

Richard Hammond, Top Gear

British tabloid paper Daily Star is reporting that Top Gear host Richard Hammond wants to reshape his TV persona. It’s understood the 41-year-old is not happy to be simply known as “the cute little man who had a crash” and wants the show’s producers to take him in a new direction when Season 18 returns (on 29 January 2012).

Front man Jeremy Clarkson is well known for his forthright and often grumpy views. While James May aka ‘Captain Slow’ embraces his careful and fastidious identity.

Supposedly ‘The Hamster’ is feeling left behind his two colleagues and says it’s not fair. It’s been reported he has taken his complaints to the BBC’s top brass demanding action. So, when the next season of Top Gear airs on BBC2 later this year we can expect to see a more defined role for Hammond.

We think he’s having a bit of a whinge, just quietly and figure there’d be plenty of people willing to take his place on the iconic motoring show. Perhaps he’ll become known as the ‘whiney little man who had a crash’ instead.

[Source: Daily Star | Pic: TopGear.com]

44 replies on “Top Gear Series 18 to rebrand the ‘cute little man’”

This is a perfectly good example of a stupid rumor and a made up store just to get people’s attention. So sad that whoever posted this news is frankly bored and in need of a life.

You’ve got to love how Britain’s public broadcaster has a TV show so big that it becomes “news” for other media outlets!

It happens here too unfortunately – in Adelaide today the paper had a piece about how Adam Hills was excited about having finished Spicks and Specks filming for the last time.

Hammond was trying way too hard in the Aventador review to sound like Jeremy. He seems to be a bit ‘off’ this season, and has been, to be perfectly honest, quite annoying in a few segments.

Yeah, tend to agree Micky.

Also, to others, reporting on TG stories and/or presenters is not new, especially (ironically) after Hammond’s accident all those years ago.

We even had a world exclusive right here on AUSmotive when the lads were in Vietnam.

“whiney little man who had a crash” < yup.

Also, with regard to on screen presence & ego, Richard Hammond will always be Salacious Crumb to Clarkson's Jabba the Hutt.

This is an interesting post. Media have always reported on media. If you don’t like it, don’t read it.

Agree that Hammond has little to offer than a self-deprecating ‘humour’.

I think Richard is far too fake on top gear , i mean we all know that a lot of the so called challenges are actually setup , but may and clarkson seem to act it out in a believable fashion , whilst hammond just seems far too obvious when acting , far too fake .
i think he needs to relax somewhat and realize what top gear has done for him career wise , he has had all kinds of spin offs and has become a household name throught top gear .
Top gear has always been one of my favourite shows , i never miss an episode , but i was let down for season 17 that there were no abroad specials , the world is top gears oyster , its also the bbcs pearl , the budget allows for some insane stuff to be aired , and thats what attracts the worlds audiences.

perhaps mr hammond just needs some platform shoes and a good teeth whitening session .

I like how he wears beads and grows his hair, has poofy pirate shirts and strange vests.
He is very fetching this little man.

Any whining Hamster does pales in comparison to all the whining coming from the commentors on this article. Could it be that you’re all just jealous that the female top gear fans of the world by and large adore him! When you’re watching TG and your girl friend has to sit and watch it with you do you get upset because she keeps saying “how cute” he is? Or maybe it’s your boyfriends on the couch next to you, I dare say sure most of them love him as well!

I wouldn’t change a thing about the way Hammond, or any of the other presenters, does Top Gear. Sounds like he wants a more dignified role on the show, but this is definitely NOT a dignified show! The childishness of it is what makes it fun. Embrace your role you silly little man. You’re still better off than the slow-as-molasses boring awkward one with bad hair, and the inflammatory loudmouth clown with bad hair.

ricjard hammond is one of the best car show hosts ive gotten the chance to witness. there is hardly anyone I can think of that can replace him….. u guys are nooobs. get a knob.

Top Gear is the best program on TV. Its funny well scripted and the camera work on the challenges is fantastic. The only thing that lets the show down slightly is the hamster. He is trying to hard to be funny and it is sometimes cringe worthy watching him trying to act. He is more suited to the other shows that he does.
I think it is time for some new female blood to enter the show and my vote goes to Sabine Schmitz the German bird or someone similar.
A nice good looking petrol head woman is all that is needed to reinvigorate the show and make it prefect.

All three of them are awesome, unlike the guys on TG ozzie and TG US! Fuck TG ozzie and TG US! Create your own fucking (fun) car show!

This article is ridiculous. If you’ve watched the show over the years (and not let tabloid BS like this diminish the show itself), there’s no questioning how much Richard adds to the program by way of humour, personality, chemistry with those he meets (co-hosts included), and his love and knowledge of motoring.

If this is true – and I have no reason to believe it is – then perhaps Hammond should be worried more about the effect that crap little kids’ show he did has had on his image. In any case, if a change is needed, perhaps Top Gear could bring back a topless Julia Bradbury!

Top gear is top gear because of all 3 of the presenters. Richard was there from the start and he is as much a part of the show as jeremy and james. It doesn’t matter what anyone says. Die hard top gear fans won’t fully accept the show without him.

Any news yet on when the next series starts? I think it´s series 18.
As for Hammond I doubt the other two would let him get away with trying to “rebrand” his image. They rip him to pieces every time he changes his hairstyle!

That’s a fake that article! It’s just to set some “news” within the gap. The editing staff probably rumoured it themselves (and Hammond asked: Do we really have to do that?)! Do you really think that that man who is a successfull, good-looking, smart, slim, rich and well-respected person with probably five sexy girls on each hand (if he wasn’t married) has such a weak self confidence? No way! You probably just think it, because he is so little and cute. Often little men are very self confident, it’s the Napoleon’s Syndrom (or Tom Cruise, Dustin Hoffman, Prince, etc). And I think it’s better to be good-looking, slim, smart and little than ugly, fat, dopey and tall!!! I mean, eh, I am good-looking, slim, smart and tall…

I have heard news that Richard is an arrogant a-hole and not at all like he seems on Top Gear.. After watching every single episode, in my mind he’s the easiest to replace of the three hosts. I think he knows this and maybe tries too hard?
And why should he be seen differently, as he is the same in every program he hosts?

Even on Top Gear he behaves strange sometimes. In the show where they challenged the German presenters he won a race against one of them he went to his car, bumped against the window and shouted at him. Jeremy then mumbled something like “some are bad loosers, but Richard is bad winner”. Probably he’s a narcissistic a-hole.

chris there all really funny and gell together brilliantly, it just works, if any of them left it would be the end of the show, the end

life just isnt fair for him, the millions hes getting paid cant cure little man syndrome

One of the things about Richard hammond is that he is a good ten years younger than both James and Jeremy. Like a younger brother is to an older brother he may feel like he needs to do something or act a certain way that they will think is funny to impress them, but even if that is true it’s bloody television people act all sorts of ways on it. Top gear has made him and without him the show wouldn’t be the same, and deep down he knows that no matter what he has been accused of saying.

All three presenters are important for the show and I think each of them does their part good nicely. If any one of them be removed, I don’t think it will be the ‘Top Gear’ any more.

I think hammond is a great reporter and a really good auto jeornalist to take him off would be a shame to say the least he might be upset in the shadow or clarkson but clarkson tiff noel edmonds quintin Wilson founded it in the 70′ s and 80′ s the “new ” topgear has its own personality in its own right so what you going to do …….. remap the whole show ? ? ? Doubt it stop moaning about it and enjoy the progrsmme or here’s a thought stop watching it !

It’s understood…Supposedly …It’s been reported…

Sounds like an ironclad story.

Hammond is a non-entity. Clarkson has his wit and charmingly charismatic arrogance. May is the loveable, spaniel-esque geek, who names his tools and says “Cock” a lot….. and Hammond is (allegedly) “the small cute one” who had a crash. The man makes me cringe every time he tries to be entertaining, and that’s the problem; He tries too hard and always falls short. (pun intended) Technically, he is whining to the producers about his own shortcomings. (pun intended again) They can’t help him with that. No matter what the situation/car/locaion, he is the remaining constant. I don’t think personality transplants are available yet, are they?

Whatever the producers decide to do with Hammond’s “character” on the show is fine with me as long as they keep it entertaining.

No matter what happens with Hammond’s scripted character, no-one will ever mistake Hammond for a clever sharp witted genius. He falls way behind his two colleagues in the intelligence stakes. If you have ever witnessed Clarkson sparring with Stephen Fry on Qi, his intellect is unquestionable. Similarly, James has an considered intellect that comes over in his own version of the Hugh Grant flappable English delivery. Hammond will never be more that the butt of the jokes who can deliver scripted one-liners with good timing that he is. But in his own way, that makes him the perfect foil to the other two.

I think richard is important to the show. He, jeremy and james bouce off of each other perfectly when it comes to the humour and it wouldnt be the same if they were to bring in anyone else. His line of “dont say that” to jeremy whenever he says “how hard can it be” in the specials is a classic. The fact that he is cute is just an added bonus for the women who watch the show, I know my girlfriend thinks he is good looking and its probably why she doesnt mind me watching it lol.

This is a stupid rumor, the guy below me is right this isn’t true. Just the way it’s worded you can tell. Besides, they all know there roles, and without any of them the show won’t be the same and everyone knows that if any of them were gone the show wouldn’t be the same. This is stupid and a lie.

The Hamster isn’t actually particularly short, being 5′ 7″ tall, it’s just that Clarkson’s 6′ 5″ makes most people look short.
The fact that this BBC2 program is about the most popular TV motoring show —“in the world”—, means they’re not doing too much wrong. You can’t please everybody. The producers aren’t going to be bothered if 1 or 2 people out of the 350 million who watch the show worldwide say that the Hamster needs to change.

Hammond is one of the reasons why I see top gear. He is my favorite of the three. Not because of his “cute little man” persona, but because he seems genuine. Dont go messing with something that isnt broken.

your all stupid brats. this is FAKE. if anyone who bad mouthed him about his crash was in his situation you would have died. he was strong to get through it and he is a nice man to talk to. piss of talkin about my friend like this!

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