The BBC has suspended filming of Top Gear’s latest series following an investigation into a horror accident that left presenter Andrew ‘Freddie’ Flintoff seriously injured – amid reports the star has said he feels unable to continue the show.
The 45-year-old was involved in an accident on December 13 last year while filming on the Top Gear test track at Dunsfold Aerodrome in Surrey.
He was transported to hospital with facial injuries and broken ribs after riding in the car – an open three-wheeled 210 km/h Morgan Super 3 that has no airbags – turned around.
Filming on the series was suspended while Flintoff recovered from his injuries and investigations took place. with reports that the former professional cricketer put his TV career on hold following the crash.
But on Thursday the company said it had suspended the show, claiming the former cricketer was “seriously emotionally and physically affected by the crash” on the same day.
Andrew ‘Freddie’ Flintoff (pictured) was seriously injured in a crash while filming the latest series of Top Gear
The former professional cricketer suffered facial injuries and broken ribs after the vehicle he was riding in flipped over
According to reports, the father-of-four had decided to leave the show before the BBC confirmed it was halting filming on the next series, which was scheduled to be released in the autumn.
That’s what an insider told me The times: ‘Freddie has been emotionally and physically affected by the crash. He’s a daredevil, that’s what he does, and he doesn’t feel like he can keep playing that role on the show.”
On Thursday evening, the BBC confirmed that it had apologized to the presenter and added ‘will continue to support ‘Flintoff’ in his recovery’.
It also said: “Under the circumstances, we feel it is inappropriate to continue making Series 34 of Top Gear at this time.
“We understand this will be disappointing for the fans, but it is the right thing to do and we will make a judgment later this year on how best to proceed.
“This has also affected the production team, which we continue to support.
“Finally, there will be a health and safety review of the show, in accordance with our procedures.”
Flintoff, who won the Ashes with England as a cricketer before presenting on TV, drove a classic-looking £43,000 British handmade car — which is described as a “motorized three-wheeler” and has no airbags, according to maker Morgan’s website.
The incident is said to have left the cast and crew “reeling from the shock,” with concerns about the future of the show, which has had a history of serious crashes.
After the crash, his family begged him to stay away from work while he recovered, with an insider telling The Sun that he would “put his career on hold until he’s in a better place mentally and physically.”
They added: “As a loving husband and father, he understands the anguish his family feels about what happened, knowing that he could have been killed. However, he is determined to resume his TV work at some point.
The TV presenter, pictured here with co-presenters Chris Harris and Paddy McGuinness, was filming the latest series of the show, which was due to air this fall
Flintoff was driving a three-wheel open-top Morgan Super 3 car (pictured) when it overturned
Flintoff’s family (pictured) reportedly begged him to stay away from the set while he recovered from his injuries
The TV presenter, pictured here on a motorized trike while filming for an earlier series of the show, is said to be ‘determined’ to get back on screen at some point
“So this decision will be a painful one for Freddie, but he knows, at least for now, there are more important things in life.”
The blow came three years after the ex-cricketer narrowly cheated death following a shocking 200mph crash.
In 2019, Flintoff was heard screaming in terror “I can’t stop,” as he hurtled head first down a runway just inches above the ground in a three-wheeled bicycle car.
He was racing against his co-hosts when he realized he was running out of road and about to cross the finish line – when he saw him spin away in a cloud of dust.
Flintoff walked away from the “near-death” crash unscathed, insisting he was “absolutely fine.”
He said at the time: ‘I do everything I can to make sure I do well in Top Gear drag racing, but on this occasion I went a few steps too far. It will seem ridiculous rather than dangerous when you see it on TV.’
Flintoff, who began presenting Top Gear in 2019, has also made regular appearances on A League Of Their Own and won the first series of the Australian version of I’m A Celebrity…Get Me Out of Here!
He is best remembered for his time as a tubthumping all-rounder, most notably during the 2005 Ashes win.
The former England captain finished with 79 Test caps and 148 limited-overs internationals.
Former Top Gear presenter Richard Hammond previously said he was ‘too scared’ to be checked for dementia after his horror crash while filming the hit BBC show.
The 53-year-old TV presenter – who ran the program alongside Jeremy Clarkson and James May from 2002 to 2015 – suffered a brain injury after a catastrophic car accident while filming the show in 2006.
Richard was traveling at 500 km/h in a Vampire dragster – a jet-powered car capable of speeds of 600 km/h – when the right front tire unexpectedly failed, causing the engine to spin out of control and flip upside down .
He was left with life-altering side effects, including post-traumatic amnesia – now fears his worsening memory could be dementia brought on by the high-speed crash.
Speak on the Diary of a CEO podcast he said: ‘I’m worried about my memory because it’s not brilliant. I can still read and deliver a script, but my long-term memory isn’t great.
“I have to write things down and sometimes work hard to remember them. It could be the age, it could be the start of something else. I worry about that. I do.’
Top Gear crashes over the years
Richard Hammond crashes a Vampire Dragster – 2006
Richard continued to fight for his life after crashing the jet-powered car while traveling at 450mph while testing the vehicle at the former RAF Elvington air base near York. Hammond was on a seventh and final run in the car when the front right tire flipped and the dragster veered off the runway, rolled over and Hammond suffered a traumatic head injury and was in a coma for two weeks. In the year after the crash, the TV presenter returned to the show and spoke about the crash on The Jonathan Ross Show, but could not remember anything about it due to his injuries.
Shocking: Richard continued to fight for his life after he crashed the Vampire Dragster while driving at 450km/h while testing the vehicle at the former RAF Elvington air base
Freddie Flintoff crashes a jet trike – 2019
In September, Freddie revealed that he had a nasty escape during filming after a high-speed crash in a jet trike. The cricketer, 41, insisted he was ‘absolutely fine’ after his jet trike went off the road during a race at Elvington Airfield near York. Freddie reportedly drove his high-speed trike off the road while filming the high-speed race. Crew members rushed to Freddie – who wore a full suit and helmet for the scenes – but he emerged with barely a scratch.
Close call: Last September, Freddie revealed that he had a nasty escape during filming after a high-speed crash in a jet trike
Paddy McGuinness’s rear axle comes from his Pontiac Firebird – 2020
In Top Gear’s latest series, Paddy embarked on the ‘original’ US Road Trip with Freddie and Chris Harris. He arrived in their starting point of Peru in a Pontiac Firebird that had no roof in addition to several other problems. When the trio decided to test their cars on a 1/4 mile straight, Paddy’s car only got a few feet before the rear end of the axle completely came apart and he was forced to abandon the car.
In the latest series of Top Gear, Paddy had to abandon his Pontiac Firebird after the rear of the axle came completely apart (pictured)
Jeremy Clarkson flips his Reliant Robin – 2010
In a now-famous segment of Top Gear, former host Jeremy flipped a Reliant Robin multiple times. The motoring journalist turned it over to prove that the three-wheeled car could tip over easily. In his Sunday Times driving column, Jeremy revealed that he had asked the crew to tinker with the car ‘so that the poor little thing rolled over every time I turned the wheel’.
Flipping heck: In a now famous segment of Top Gear, former host Jeremy Clarkson flipped a Reliant Robin multiple times (pictured)