Freddie Flintoff to reunite with BBC despite Top Gear crash horror as star's 'TV return confirmed'

Freddie Flintoff to reunite with BBC despite Top Gear crash horror as star's 'TV return confirmed'

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GB NEWS
Alex Davies

By Alex Davies


Published: 13/10/2023

- 09:01

The former cricketer was involved in a crash while filming Top Gear back in December 2022

Andrew 'Freddie' Flintoff has reportedly already eyed up a return to TV screens almost a year on from his horror crash on the set of the BBC's Top Gear.

Flintoff endured life-threatening injuries during the incident and has been left with facial scars 10 months on from the incident.


The extent of Flintoff's injuries was plain to see when he stepped out with the England men's cricket team this summer.

Flintoff's accident left the future of Top Gear in limbo for the best part of a year but it was announced last month that the Beeb ultimately took the decision to axe the show altogether.

A source told The Sun at the time: "Top Gear has been an institution on British telly but the feeling is there is no way it can continue after Freddie’s crash."

Despite Top Gear being set to be no more, Flintoff is setting his sights on a return to screens in a number of other BBC shows.

Top Gear hosts

Freddie Flintoff alongside Top Gear co-stars Paddy McGuinness and Chris Harris

PA

Flintoff is reportedly getting to work on a second series of his BBC documentary Field of Dream, which saw the former all-rounder show youngsters in his hometown of Preston the joys of cricket.

There is also talk that Flintoff could get back to work on another BBC show called Chasing Cars, in which he oversees a team of experts bring run-down cars to their former glory.

Shedding light on Flintoff's return to screens, a source said: "Freddie is a hugely popular TV star and any channel or streamer would be thrilled to sign up one of his shows.

"His return to the limelight is something both telly execs and the public have been longing for and thankfully he now seems ready to return to doing what he loves.

"He just needs to get past the one-year anniversary of the crash, then he can focus on the next chapter of his career.

"He’s already in talks about what he wants to work on in 2024 and beyond," the insider added to The Sun.

GB News has contacted the BBC for comment on the reports.

The writing appeared to be on the wall for the BBC and Top Gear in recent months after the show faced criticism - particularly from the 'Original Stig' - about the secrecy surrounding the circumstances of Flintoff's accident.

There were also fears Top Gear could be shelved in the summer when the show's editorial director Clare Pizey announced she was exiting the show after seven years.

Freddie Flintoff

Freddie Flintoff made his first public appearance since the crash in the summer

PA

She shared a snap alongside Flintoff, Paddy McGuinness, and Chris Harris on Instagram as she announced: "So after many many years at the BBC, I have decided it’s time for a new chapter.

"Somehow, I have spent 7 years on Top Gear - how did that happen - and that was after Children in Need and Sport Relief to name but a few highlights.

"It has been extraordinary in every way and I am so grateful to the incredibly talented production teams and presenters I have worked with along the way. It has been a privilege."

Flintoff had been a host on Top Gear since 2019 as he and McGuinness took over from Matt LeBlanc and Rory Reid.

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