A FRESH PARTNER IN CRIME

Working with new co-host Tory Bellici (left) on The Great Escapists was a strange experience for Richard, but a rewarding one. ‘I’ve worked with James May and Jeremy Clarkson for 20 years, which is the majority of my career,’ he says. ‘So it’s particularly strange to be with somebody else. But to find someone I

can bond with on camera and have that effortless chemistry with has been incredible.

‘It’s a joy when you find people who are like soulmates. You just think, “OK, you’re going to be my friend for life.” I know that next time I film with Jeremy and James, somebody will put us in some cars and shout “Action!” and we’ll go straight back into it. That will always be there.

‘I think we have different versions of ourselves: there’s a 17year-old version of me when I ride my motorcycle, and a version of me that’s on set with Jeremy and James. I know pretty much what either of them will say in reply to me saying something, and to find that again with Tory is really lucky.’