Richard Hammond has apologised to his wife and children from his hospital bed after he cheated death in a serious crash.

The presenter was said to be inches from perishing after the crash in a supercar while filming for The Grand Tour series.

He climbed out shortly before the car burst into flames and was airlifted to hospital.

Hammond, who had recently pledged to give up dangerous stunts, apologised to his wife and daughter in a video posted online.

"I'm sorry to my wife Mindy and my daughters", he said.

He also showed an x-ray of his injuries to his knee, saying he was hoping to undergo surgery within hours.

Hammond, 47, had just completed Hemburg Hill Climb in Switzerland while filming for The Grand Tour's second series when he lost control of the car.

A spokesman for the show said the cause of the accident was unknown and being investigated.

Hammond suffered life-threatening head injuries following a high-speed crash as he filmed for BBC's Top Gear in 2006.

The presenter was in a coma for two weeks following the 288mph accident, but made a full recovery.

In March this year, Hammond assured fans he was fine after falling off a motorbike "many times" while filming for The Grand Tour.