Richard Hammond

Richard Hammond was seriously injured in a car crash yesterday. He has made Top Gear, Braniac and Time Commanders, along with other programmes, with his own brand of enthusiasm and energy, as well as a love of blowing things up. We wish him a speedy recovery and return to the screens. Top Gear has changed from a run of the mill motoring and review show to one of the few genuinely watchable programmes on television at the moment. They were pushing the boundaries, doing very different things while still being informative and fun. The amount of messages on the BBC's forums testify to Richard's immense popularity and the great feeling of affection that people have for him. This should not be used as an excuse for Top Gear to be removed from the screen or toned down - television and, dare I say it, humanity, need people like Richard who will take (acceptable) risks in the name of pushing back boundaries. Properly assessed items on Top Gear, yes, but not complete removal. Clarkson, May and Hammond are a superb team.

Best wishes to Richard and his family at this time.