Freddie Flintoff to address horror Top Gear crash in new trailer for BBC series: 'Changed my life forever'
BBC
The former cricket star was involved in a horrific crash back in December 2022 whilst filming for Top Gear
Freddie Flintoff will open up about his near-fatal horror car crash which led to the star being air-lifted to hospital and left him with severe facial scars during his new BBC series.
Since the crash, Flintoff has kept a low profile in a bid to fully recover and heal but in recent months began to show his face once again.
Yesterday, he posted a trailer for the second series of his BBC show Freddie Flintoff Field of Dreams.
The first series saw the cricketer return to his hometown of Preston with the aim of creating a brand-new cricket team with a group of promising teens.
Flintoff hoped to inspire a new generation to play cricket and prove that anyone can play the sport, regardless of their background - whilst battling the challenges of getting the young boys motivated and focused.
In the new series, the 46-year-old wants to take his team on a tour to India to add more drive and ambition - proving that they can achieve their dreams if they put their minds to it.
After posting the trailer, Flintoff can be seen opening up about the 2022 incident and says: "But something happened which changed my life forever".
Freddie Flintoff takes his new cricket team on tour to India
BBC
He is also seen telling the players: "We're all going to find out something about ourselves - me included."
The group of boys are all from Freddie's hometown of Preston and he emotionally tells them: "From what I've done in my career. You lads are my greatest achievement.
"I want to take you on tour. I want to take you to India. I want the boys to learn to be outside their comfort zone. I just hope and pray that all the boys take these opportunities - and they grab it with both hands."
Due to the severity of the incident and the injuries that he sustained, BBC bosses felt it would be "inappropriate" to carry on filming the new series in the wake of what happened.
In a statement, the broadcaster said: "Given the exceptional circumstances, the BBC has decided to rest the UK show for the foreseeable future.
"The BBC remains committed to Freddie, Chris and Paddy who have been at the heart of the show's renaissance since 2019, and we're excited about new projects being developed with each of them.
"We will have more to say in the near future on this. We know resting the show will be disappointing news for fans, but it is the right thing to do."
In the aftermath of the accident, Flintoff stated that he was keen to get back to work - however, his wife Rachel reportedly begged him to stay off work which could have influenced his decision to return to cricket.
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Freddie Flintoff suffered a horrific car crash in December 2022
BBC
A source told the Sun: "As a loving husband and dad he understands the fear his family feel about what's happened, knowing that he could have been killed. He is determined to resume his TV work at some point though.
"That's why this decision will be a painful one for Freddie, but he knows that, for now at least, there are more important things in life."