Richard Hammond, the former Top Gear presenter, has found a new romantic partner, Keira Glen, who presents a stark contrast to his previous life dominated by cars and high-octane pursuits. Glen, who is 53 and a divorced mother of two, is described by Hammond as a reassuringly low-key therapist and school governor. He stated that he met her through a mutual friend and that his current life involves early suppers, country walks, and quiet evenings.
However, Glen's background is more complex than initially suggested. She is the great-granddaughter of Ernest Prouty Barrus, the American founder of E P Barrus Ltd, a British engineering business with operations in marine engines, garden machinery, and defense systems. For the year ending September 2025, the company reported a turnover of nearly £88 million. Glen joined her father and sister on the company's board in the past year, marking the fourth generation of her family involved in the business.
Glen's personal history also includes a former marriage to the Hon Richard Hugh Eaton Newall, the eldest son and heir apparent of the 2nd Baron Newall. Had their marriage lasted until his succession, she would have become Lady Newall.
Despite her privileged background, Glen has forged her own career path. She began in finance as a client manager at J.P. Morgan before retraining as a therapist. She now works with adults and children, with her website noting experience in helping 'highly successful sportspeople and professionals' with issues such as depression, loss, and identity problems. This experience is seen as particularly relevant given Hammond's own history of significant physical and emotional upheaval.
Hammond himself has experienced two major accidents. In 2006, a dragster he was driving overturned at 288 mph, resulting in a serious brain injury. More recently, in 2017, he crashed an electric supercar while filming The Grand Tour in Switzerland, sustaining a broken knee. These incidents and their aftermath reportedly placed considerable strain on his 28-year marriage to Mindy Hammond, from whom he separated in January 2025. Sources close to the family indicated that Hammond was