Richard Hammond has shared his fears that he may get early-onset dementia as a result of a past brain injury.
The presenter has now admitted he “worries” that he may have two symptoms of early-onset dementia - but is “scared to death” about taking a test.
“The brain injury is with me forever, probably, and I do worry that it will lead to early-onset dementia. I very much hope not, but it’s entirely possible that it could,” he said on the High Performance podcast with Jake Humphrey and Damian Hughes.
When asked if he would go for a scan to assess his brain’s condition, he quickly replied: “No. I’m scared to death to do it. But I absolutely should. I’m honestly too scared.”
He added: “I do lose stuff a lot, I do forget stuff, but that’s probably because I’m 56 and not concentrating. But I should.”
Richard Hammond said he was afraid he might have early-onset dementia
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Hammond went on: “I’m bad enough when I go for my annual MOT, where you go and get mauled by a doctor. I don’t like getting the results from that. I wouldn’t like the results from a brain scan.
“I wouldn’t want to know that’s what was coming, would I? To be fair, if it’s happening, you’re less aware, but it’s a bloody struggle. Some people are lucky, and they’re happy.
“I’m just selfishly scared [of the scan]. And my daughters, I don’t want to let them down. It’s going to be primarily difficult for them. I’d have to tell them. But maybe I should.”
He took to Instagram to thank emergency workers on the 20th anniversary of the accident, writing: “20 years ago today, I came to an abrupt stop upside down in a Yorkshire field, convinced I was about to die.
“A front tyre had blown on the jet-powered dragster I had been driving at over 300mph. I had pulled the lever to release the parachute and done my best to steer the car away from disaster, but disaster was, it seemed, my fate and having done everything I could do avert it, I gave myself over to that fate.”
Hammond went on to say that he “didn’t scream” during the incident and said it “wasn’t frightening”, adding that “it simply occurred to me that the next thing on my to do list was to die”.
He added: “I am only here today to note this anniversary and write these words because of the work of the many people involved in rescuing me from the shattered car, flying me to hospital and treating me there.”
After leaving Top Gear with co-hosts Jeremy Clarkson and James May in 2015, Hammond reunited with them for Prime Video’s The Grand Tour.