Jeremy Clarkson is set to divorce from his second wife.
The famous Top Gear presenter and Frances Cain married in 1993 and went on to have three children together.
After over 20 years of marriage the union ran into difficulties after Clarkson was linked to various different women, in particular, an assistant working on Top Gear, Philippa Sage.
It is reported that the couple have been living separately for three years and that Mrs. Clarkson is now ready to start divorce proceedings.
Any financial settlement stemming from the divorce is likely to be large due to the enormous wealth that Clarkson has accumulated during the lengthy marriage. His fortune has been estimated at £30 million.
The hugely successful BBC television programme Top Gear has been Clarkson’s main source of income. In 2012, he earned £14 million from Top Gear: £8.4 million for his stake in the company behind the programme, a £4.86 million dividend payment plus his £1 million salary.
The charismatic, and sometimes controversial, presenter is also in demand on the after-dinner speaking circuit, where he can command at least £20,000 for one evening.
The Clarkson have two family homes, a mansion in Chipping Norton, Oxfordshire and a converted lighthouse on the Isle of Man. Clarkson also owns a property in Fitzrovia, central London.
Clarkson’s passion for cars has resulted him acquiring a varied and expensive collection. A 2011 report by hire car firm The City Car Club suggested Clarkson owned a stable of 12 cars including a Lamborghini and an Aston Martin V8 Vantage.
Alex Hall, Clarkson’s first wife who left him for his best friend after only months of marriage in 1989, has expressed her support for Mrs. Clarkson in the press, saying that his second wife “deserves every penny” of her divorce settlement, which could amount to half of his estimated £30 million fortune.
