It’s obviously a play on his name, but there’s more to it.

Richard Hammond. You know him and probably love his character. Hammond… although the connection is obvious, you may not know how it came about. Zog Ziegler is a prominent UK motoring journalist. Hammond has released a new Drivetribe video that explains how Ziegler and his famous nickname are inextricably linked.

This short clip explains how Hammond started in the exciting world automotive journalism. Credit goes to Ziegler. Hammond, a young man, was working as a radio DJ in the early 1990s. He made friends with Ziegler who was already very involved in the motoring world. Hammond believed it was a fun gig to talk about cars, and Ziegler encouraged him to do so. Bravo, guys.

Hammond’s nickname was actually a later invention and wasn’t directed at him. Hammond and Ziegler were expecting their first child when Ziegler declared that they were having “a little Hamster.” It’s only a technicality.

Hammond explains why he doesn’t like the nickname in this clip. While hamster might not be as well-known as wolf or an eagle, at least one Motor1.com journalist has been terribly burdened by being half the height of Hammond. We are sure there are worse nicknames. Your humble author is not a stranger to short jokes. But he can fit very comfortably in a Mazda Miata and a Honda S2000. That’s it.

The Hamster will soon be returning to Amazon Prime’s digital halls with James May, Jeremy Clarkson and a new Grand Tour Special. Here the motoring trio will swap hulls for wheels and embark on a boating adventure. On December 13, the Grand Tour season four “Seamen” special will be available on streaming.