Torque & Mindy

Introducing Anorak’s new column – My Columnist & I.

Each week we will select a columnist and see how many times the word “I” is mentioned in their piece.

We will also take note of how many occasions members of the columnist’s family (pets included) are mentioned, so too friends and work colleagues.

And first up is Richard Hammond.

Richard has risen through the ranks of the media and is now in an enviable position to tell Sunday Mirror readers what he thinks of it all.

And in “no smoke without ire”, he tells us that he has started smoking again.

TV presenter Paul O’Grady has had a heart attack and vowed to ditch the evil weed. Richard’s seen a “terrifying” TV show about the dangers of smoking. “All this in the week when, after staying off them for two years, I go and start smoking again.”

“I’ve now packed up again,” says Richard, to our great relief. But if someone invents a cigarette that is not harmful to human health, Richard will “smoke a million a day”.

I count: 13

Richard then moves on to tell us about Wags, Wows (wives of Wimbledon) and WOMPS – Wives of Motoring Presenters. Wives like Richard’s wife Mindy.

Richard says Mindy is “terrified” in case she opens a paper to read about Womps.

Richard tells us that Mindy is “happiest in her wellies and a waterproof hat.” (See photo of an unsmiling and hatless Mindy).

“The thought of actually spending the entire day being photographed shopping for tiny scraps of clothing and eating a water salad for lunch fills her with horror.”

Well, so long as she’s full…

Family: wife

Posted: 10th, July 2006 | In: Tabloids Comment | TrackBack | Permalink