'Top Gear' presenters deliver Hammond update

Richard Hammond's fellow Top Gear presenters have reported their findings following several hours at his bedside yesterday, revealing that their critically ill colleague managed to smile at their jokes.

Speaking to The Sun, Jeremy Clarkson admitted that he "was being nice to him for a change" but without any initial response from Hammond. "He probably thought ‘that sounds like Clarkson but it can’t be - he’s saying nice things'.

"He was lying peacefully with a black eye but didn’t react so I tried something else. I said: ‘The reason you’re here is because you’re a crap driver’. He then smiled at me. It was an amazing moment, very moving."

Meanwhile, Hammond's Top Gear sidekick James May told The Daily Telegraph that the doctors are "reasonably confident of a recovery".

"His eye is a bit bashed in but I was very pleased to hear the doctors say he hadn't got any damage to the lens or the retina and that his sight will be OK."

"I was chuffed to see him and although he's muttering, he seems much like the irritating little shit I know and love," joked May. "Even when he can't say much, he seemed to make as much sense as he does when he can talk normally."

Hammond remains in a 'serious, but stable' condition at Leeds General Infirmary following a high-speed car crash on Wednesday while filming scenes for the popular BBC show.