Richard Hammond in ‘drink warning’ after speeding offences

The former Top Gear presenter, 56, delivered the warning on social media in relation to drinking rum and boating.

The presenter worked with Oxfordshire farmer Jeremy Clarkson and James May on the BBC’s Top Gear and, latterly, Prime Video’s The Grand Tour for 22 years before calling time in 2024.

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Mr Hammond was also in his co-star’s county last summer when he visited Woodstock for Salon Privé, which was hosted at Blenheim Palace.

Speaking from the passenger seat of a boat, he said in the recent video: “I’ve taken up boating. Turns out it was easy; all I needed was a pair of sunglasses and a glass of this: Bearing, my Caribbean spiced rum.

“It’s aged in oak barrels and the secret blend of spices leave it balanced, rich and lavish.

Richard Hammond driving the Porsche. (Image: West Mercia Police)

“If you want to take up boating you can find Bearing along with my Ratio Gin and Iron Ridge Whisky at hammondspirits.com and now in Waitrose stores nationwide.

“Happy boating; it’s brilliant.”

However, below the video he put a warning, telling the public “obviously do NOT drink and boat”.

The video comes just a few weeks after it was reported that Mr Hammond had pleaded guilty to multiple speeding offences.

The 56-year-old was at the wheel of a Porsche when he broke the speed limit on December 2 last year, and he was caught out again just 20 days later while driving a Bentley.

West Mercia Police brought two prosecutions against him, putting forward the speed camera images of him driving the cars in Herefordshire to prove the offences.

The presenter pleaded guilty through his lawyers to two charges of speeding.

Handout photo dated 2/12/25 provided by West Mercia Police of TV presenter Richard Hammond speeding in his Porsche. (Image: West Mercia Police / PA)

At Telford Magistrates’ Court last week, he was handed seven penalty points on his licence.

Magistrate Ann Minton ordered him to pay a total of £1,771, comprising two fines of £333 and £666, £240 in costs and victim surcharges totalling £532.

Documents from his court case show Mr Hammond was caught out by a police officer with a handheld speed camera just before 1pm on December 2 last year.

His Porsche Taycan Cross Turismo was clocked at 68mph in a 50mph limit on the A40 in Pencraig, Herefordshire.

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At around 11.45am on December 22, Mr Hammond’s Bentley Continental GT was speeding at 82mph in a 70mph limit on the A50 Rudhall Overbridge in Herefordshire.

Police chased up the 56-year-old with speeding tickets, sending these to three £1 million or higher properties associated with the TV presenter.

These included a Grade II* listed Herefordshire castle bought by Mr Hammond in 2012, and a £1 million farm estate near Hereford, but the letters were returned marked as “addressee gone away”.

Eventually they tracked him down to his £2 million mansion near Abergavenny in Wales, where it was noted more than 30 vehicles are currently registered.