December 25th 2024.
Freddie Flintoff, a well-known TV personality, recently opened up about the traumatic accident he was involved in two years ago. It was during the filming of Top Gear, a show that has now been taken off air by the BBC. After the incident, the 47-year-old has returned to TV for other programs. Just recently, he hosted the Christmas special of the classic 1980s show Bullseye, combining darts and quizzes. He was joined by darts legend Luke Littler as the celebrity guest.
Flintoff has also been busy with other projects, including the second series of his show Field of Dreams, where he mentors young cricket players and takes them on a trip to India. However, it was in December 2022 when his life almost ended due to a horrific crash. He was seen with healing facial injuries and broken ribs in the aftermath of the accident. Months of speculation about the future of Top Gear came to an end when the show was officially taken off air following the 130mph crash.
Apart from physical injuries, Flintoff also suffered emotionally and has recently stated that he "should not be here" after the incident. In September 2023, he made his first public appearance with visible scars and tape on his face during England's cricket match against New Zealand. Many were curious about what exactly happened to Freddie Flintoff and how he has been coping in the aftermath. Here's everything we know about the accident and its aftermath.
The accident occurred on December 13, 2022, at Dunsfold Park Aerodrome in Surrey, the test track for Top Gear since 2002. Flintoff was driving an open-topped, three-wheel Morgan Super 3 at 130mph when it flipped and slid along the track during filming. He was wearing a helmet and had a crew member in the passenger seat. The former professional cricketer was airlifted to the hospital and suffered multiple facial injuries and broken ribs. He had to wait for 45 minutes for the helicopter to arrive, and his injuries were initially reported as non-life threatening. However, his son Corey later revealed that he was "lucky to be alive."
Flintoff's injuries greatly affected him both physically and emotionally. A source revealed that he was reconsidering his role as a daredevil on the show and was not sure if he could continue. This was not the first time Flintoff had been involved in an accident while filming for Top Gear. In 2019, he lost control of his motorized trike at 125mph but luckily escaped without injuries.
The BBC confirmed in March 2023 that the production of series 34 of Top Gear would not resume under the circumstances. They apologized to Freddie and assured him of their support in his recovery. In November of the same year, the broadcaster officially announced that the show had been taken off air. They also stated that there would be a health and safety review of the show. It was undoubtedly disappointing news for fans, but the BBC stated that it was the right thing to do.
Last October, it was reported that Flintoff had agreed to a payout of £9million as compensation from the BBC after the accident. This amount represented two years' worth of lost earnings for the TV personality. He decided not to sue or seek a larger settlement while the negotiations were going on with BBC Studios. A spokesperson from BBCS stated that they have reached an agreement with Freddie to support his rehabilitation, return to work, and future plans.
He said that he ‘should not be here’ after the accident. It has been two years since former professional cricketer Freddie Flintoff was involved in a horrific crash while filming Top Gear. The show has since been taken off air by the BBC, but the 47-year-old has returned to television for other programmes. Most recently, he hosted the one-night-only comeback of the 1980s classic Bullseye's Christmas special, which combined darts and quizzing. Flintoff was joined by darts icon Luke Littler as the celebrity guest for the special event.
In addition to his hosting duties, Flintoff also appeared in the second series of his show Field of Dreams earlier this year, where he mentored young budding cricketers and took them on a trip to India. This was a huge moment for Flintoff, as it marked his return to television after the traumatic accident that almost claimed his life in December 2022. The news of Top Gear being put on hold was confirmed after months of speculation surrounding the motoring show's future, following the 130mph crash. In addition to facial injuries, Flintoff also sustained broken ribs and has recently stated that he "should not be here" after the incident.
It wasn't until September 2023 that Flintoff made his first public appearance since the crash. He was seen at England's cricket one-day international match against New Zealand in Cardiff, with visible scars on his face and tape on his nose. This marked the first time he was seen in public after the accident. So, what exactly happened to Freddie Flintoff? Here's everything we know about his Top Gear accident and what has been happening in the aftermath.
Flintoff was involved in the crash on December 13, 2022, at Dunsfold Park Aerodrome in Surrey, which has been the Top Gear test track since 2002. He was driving an open-topped, three-wheel Morgan Super 3 at 130mph when it flipped and slid along the track during filming. Flintoff was wearing a helmet at the time of the incident, along with a crew member in the passenger seat. He was airlifted to the hospital and suffered multiple facial injuries and broken ribs. It was a terrifying experience, and he had to wait 45 minutes for the helicopter to arrive.
Fortunately, Flintoff's injuries were described as non-life threatening, but his son Corey has stated that he was "lucky to be alive." A source close to Flintoff shared that he was emotionally and physically affected by the crash and felt unable to continue playing his daredevil role on the show. This was not the first time he had been involved in an accident while filming for Top Gear, as he had previously lost control of his motorized trike at 125mph in 2019. However, he was not injured at the time and resumed filming afterwards.
Following the incident, production for series 34 of Top Gear was halted. In March 2023, the BBC confirmed that filming would not resume. They released a statement, apologizing to Flintoff and stating that they would continue to support him during his recovery. They also stated that it would be inappropriate to resume filming under the circumstances and that they would make a decision about how to continue the show later that year. The BBC has also announced that there will be a health and safety review for the motoring show.
In November 2023, the BBC officially confirmed that Top Gear had been taken off air. They explained that given the exceptional circumstances, they had decided to rest the UK show for the foreseeable future. The statement also mentioned co-hosts Chris Harris and Paddy McGuinness, stating that the BBC remained committed to them and were excited about new projects being developed. They apologized to fans for the hiatus but stated that it was the right thing to do. All other Top Gear activities, such as international formats, digital, magazines, and licensing, remain unaffected.
In October 2023, it was reported that Flintoff had agreed to a payout of £9 million in compensation from the BBC. This amount represented two years' worth of loss in earnings. According to sources, Flintoff decided against suing and a larger settlement while negotiating with BBC Studios. A spokesperson from BBCS stated that they had reached an agreement with Flintoff that supports his rehabilitation, return to work, and future plans. Flintoff was photographed in May 2024 at a cricket match at The Kia Oval in London, marking yet another milestone in his recovery journey.
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