In December 2022, Andrew ‘Freddie’ Flintoff was involved in a horrific car crash while filming Top Gear, resulting in him suffering from life-changing injuries.
Now, he’s releasing a new tell-all documentary on Disney Plus to reveal what he remembers ‘in vivid detail’ from the accident, as well as taking a look back at his cricketing legacy and exploring the future of his career.
As a teenager and a young cricketer in his 20s, Flintoff gained renown in the UK and around the world for his fast-bowling and powerful batting skills on the field.
The pivotal role that he played in winning the Ashes with England in 2005 propelled him to an unprecedented superstar status, before he retired from the game five years later.
In 2010, he embarked on a new career path, joining the sports panel show A League of Their Own alongside James Corden and Jack Whitehall.
Then nine years later, he became one of the co-presenters of Top Gear, fronting the programme until his accident in 2022.
He was pictured publicly for the first time after the crash in September 2023, while watching England’s opening one-day international against New Zealand in Cardiff.
Since the accident, he’s returned to TV with the second season of his BBC show Field of Dreams, as well as the reboot of the gameshow Bullseye.
What happened to Freddie Flintoff?
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 130 mph 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 hospital and suffered multiple facial injuries and broken ribs – but not before having to wait 45 minutes for the helicopter to arrive.
Flintoff’s injuries were described at the time as being non-life-threatening, but his son Corey said he was ‘lucky to be alive’.
In August last year, an at-home video was released showing Flintoff with stitches on his face shortly after the crash, with injuries visible from his head down his nose and on his chin.
In the clip, he says: ‘I genuinely should not be here after what happened. It’s going to be a long road back and I’ve only just started. I’ve got to look on the positive side – I’m still here; I’ve got another chance. I’ve got to go at it.’
For seven months after the accident, Flintoff primarily stayed at home, other than when he had to leave for hospital appointments.
Speaking on his BBC programme Field of Dreams, he says: ‘I struggle with anxiety, I have flashbacks, I have nightmares. But I’m thinking if I don’t go out I’ll never do anything.’
In the trailer for his new Disney Plus documentary, Flintoff explains that he could ‘remember everything’ about what happened during the crash, saying that the memories were ‘so vivid’.
His wife Rachael Wools, who he’s been married to since 2005, says in the trailer: ‘All of a sudden, your life can change, like that.’
As the footage from the documentary shows what he’s been up to in his career since leaving Top Gear, including hosting the Christmas special of Bullseye, Freddie says in a voiceover: ‘It’s almost like a reset. I’m trying to find out what I am now.’
When is the documentary coming out?
The documentary, which is titled Flintoff, will be available to stream in the UK on Disney Plus from Friday April 25.
What have Flintoff’s former Top Gear co-presenters said?
In November 2023, former Top Gear presenter Chris Harris revealed that he went into a ‘slightly dark place’ after his co-star Flintoff’s accident.
Harris said that he was proud that the people working on Top Gear had been ‘dignified’, adding that he was ‘sad’ to not be working on the show with Flintoff anymore.
In September last year, Harris revealed that three months before Flintoff’s accident, he had gone to the BBC to share his concerns over safety on the show. ‘I had seen this coming,’ he stated.
After being contacted by Metro, the BBC shared the BBC Studios’ statement regarding the health and safety review of Top Gear.
The statement read: ‘The independent Health and Safety production review of Top Gear, which looked at previous seasons, found that while BBC Studios had complied with the required BBC policies and industry best practice in making the show, there were important learnings which would need to be rigorously applied to future Top Gear UK productions.’
In March 2024, Paddy McGuinness shared that he hadn’t spoken to Flintoff in 10 months.
‘We were all there for him when it happened, and he got back to us all immediately after, but it’s gone quiet since then,’ he told The Sun.
He continued, explaining that he had recently sent his former co-star a message, saying: ‘I’m always here. I hope you’re well and please God, I’ll see you soon.’
‘You just can’t begin to put yourself into his shoes. No one can know what’s going on in his head,’ he added.
What has the BBC said about the future of Top Gear?
Following the incident, production of series 34 of Top Gear was halted, with the BBC then confirming in March 2023 that filming would not resume.
The broadcaster said in a statement: ‘Under the circumstances, we feel it would be inappropriate to resume making series 34.
‘We have sincerely apologised to Freddie and will continue to support him with his recovery.
‘We understand this [halting production] will be disappointing for fans, but it is the right thing to do, and we’ll make a judgement about how best to continue later this year.’
The BBC has also said there will be a health and safety review on the motoring show.
Last November, the broadcaster officially confirmed that Top Gear had been taken off air.
‘Given the exceptional circumstances, the BBC has decided to rest the UK show for the foreseeable future,’ the company’s statement read.
Referencing co-hosts Flintoff, Chris Harris and Paddy McGuinness, it continued: ‘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.
‘All other Top Gear activity remains unaffected by this hiatus including ‘international formats, digital, magazines and licensing.’
How much was Freddie Flintoff’s payout after the accident?
In October 2023, it was reported that Flintoff had agreed to a payout of £9million in compensation from the BBC after the crash.
According to The Sun, the sum represented two years’ worth of loss in earnings.
Flintoff reportedly decided against suing and a larger settlement while the deal was being negotiated with BBC Studios (BBCS), the publication stated.
A spokesperson from BBCS told Metro: ‘BBC Studios has reached an agreement with Freddie that we believe supports his continued rehabilitation, return to work and future plans.
‘We have sincerely apologised to Freddie and will continue to support him with his recovery.’
This article was originally published on August 6, 2024.
Flintoff is streaming from Friday April 25 on Disney Plus.
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