Richard Hammond has spoken candidly about the personal and financial difficulties he has faced over the last two years, confessing that he has lost a substantial portion of the wealth he accumulated from The Grand Tour.

The former Top Gear host has weathered a series of significant life changes, among them the breakdown of his 28-year marriage to Mindy Hammond. Yet despite the turbulence of recent years, Richard has also stumbled upon an unexpected source of contentment.

Appearing on the High Performance podcast with Jake Humphrey, the 56-year-old reflected on leaving behind much of his former life and discussed how he has been rebuilding on his own terms.

He said: "Don't forget, I've also, in the last two years, lost my father, my dog, my marriage, my house [laughter] and a chunk of the money I earned from The Grand Tour."

Despite these hardships, Richard maintained that he had found joy in a surprisingly modest setting, saying: "The happiest I've been in years was living in a rented cottage, my divorce cottage," reports the Mirror.

He recalled reaching out to a friend who owned a large estate to seek help finding somewhere to live after unexpectedly departing his former home. Richard was subsequently given the use of a small farmhouse known as Camp Farm, where he lived for roughly a year.

Reflecting on his time there, he described the property as sparsely furnished and sometimes chilly during the winter months, yet said he cherished every moment of it. Richard explained that when friends came to visit, they were there to see him rather than to marvel at his property or vehicle collection.

He even prepared Sunday roasts for gatherings of approximately 14 guests, creating space by rearranging furniture and bringing an outdoor table indoors.

He said: "And I lived there for, like, a year, and I bloody loved it."

His remarks come as a company linked to the presenter has entered voluntary liquidation following 18 years of trading.

Hamster's Wheel Productions, established by Richard and his former wife Mindy in 2008, was placed into liquidation last month. Records lodged at Companies House show the business holds assets of £2.3 million and is owed a further £1.45 million, with an additional £176,573 recoverable from the Government in corporation tax payments.

The firm's closure came after the pair's separation following nearly three decades of marriage. The company was involved in television productions including Richard Hammond'sBlast Lab, Wild Weather and Lab Rats.

Richard has also spoken openly about the funds he put into his other business venture, Richard Hammond's Workshop, which chronicles his classic car restoration enterprise.

During the podcast, Jake raised the subject of the latest series and noted that Richard had invested £500,000 of his own funds into the business.

Richard responded: "And since then, I've got divorced. So it's not altogether brilliant."

The presenter acknowledged that the venture carried genuine financial risk, noting that the latest series would concentrate on recruiting individuals with specialist expertise.

His circumstances haven't been entirely difficult, however. Richard confirmed earlier this year that he had entered a new relationship following the breakdown of his marriage.

Discussing his evenings in a column for The Telegraph, the former Top Gear star said: "I tend to eat relatively early. Sometimes it's just me; sometimes I'm with my girlfriend; sometimes friends are still around. I'm perfectly happy with a quiet evening watching television."