Freddie Flintoff ‘may never return to Top Gear after horror crash on BBC set left him traumatised’, friends fear
FREDDIE Flintoff may never return to Top Gear after a crash on set left him traumatised, friends fear.
The former England cricketer, 45, was shooting an episode of the hit BBC series at an airfield in Surrey when the horror smash took place.
Paramedics rushed to Dunsfold Aerodrome and the presenter was airlifted to hospital.
While he escaped with non-life threatening injuries, pals say Flintoff is suffering psychologically, The Times reports.
It puts his future on the programme, which is due to start filming next month, in doubt.
There has been no announcement to confirm or deny the dad-of-four’s involvement, and BBC Studios declined to comment.
The Sun has approached Flintoff‘s agent.
The star, who retired from test cricket after the 2009 Ashes series, was behind the wheel in sub-zero temperatures on December 13 when the shock events unfolded.
He was injured as cameras were rolling to capture his opinion of the car for the show’s review segment.
His co-star Chris Harris – who also presents alongside Paddy McGuiness – was also at the Top Gear test track.
A source said at the time that Flintoff had not been driving at high-speed and it was “an accident that could happen to anyone”.
The presenter, who replaced Matt LeBlanc in 2018, reportedly suffered broken ribs and facial injuries and needed surgery.
His son Corey said he was “lucky to be alive”.
The 16-year-old added: “It was a pretty nasty crash. It is shocking.
“We are all shocked but just hope he’s going to be OK.”
Production was postponed while a probe into what happened was carried out.
Bosses later insisted that “all health and safety procedures” were followed in the lead-up.
A separate review by the the Health and Safety Executive found no evidence of any serious failings.
Flintoff has not posted anything on social media since the accident and his official website appears to be down.
Last month’s collision came three years after he “cheated death” in another setback for the “cursed” show.
In September 2019, Flintoff lost control of a three-wheeled cycle car going 124mph at Elvington Airfield – the same track near York where former host Richard Hammond suffered a near-fatal accident in September 2006.