Top Gear and two other shows’ future in the balance after Freddie Flintoff’s horror crash
HE’S taking a career break after a nasty car accident while filming Top Gear, but Freddie Flintoff has already got another petrolhead programme in the pipeline.
The former cricketer had a crash in December while making the BBC1 motoring show and has since been considering his future while recovering at home.
That includes fronting a new, as yet unnamed, BBC2 series which sees vehicles undergo drastic renovations.
It’s been described as “The Repair Shop meets Top Gear”… but it’s yet to gain much traction.
A TV insider said: “The problem is that Freddie now has a backlog of shows which are just waiting for him to start filming.
“As well as Top Gear, which has been put on ice until he’s well enough to consider coming back, he has already signed up for a second series of his cricketing doc series, Field of Dreams.
“So producers have no idea when Freddie will be able to start hosting this new motoring show and it might end up being a more than a year away.
“Which is frustrating for execs who’d gradually been giving him more and more projects in a bid to make him ‘A BBC Face.’”
Freddie would essentially take on the same role that Jay Blades has on The Repair Shop – introducing people to experts who can transform their vehicles.
Of course they’ll have tearkering or hilarious stories to tell about the variety of bangers they bring through the doors.
And they might be anything from a milk float or motorcycle to a Rolls Royce or Robin Reliant – all of which are a bit rough round the edges, but well-loved.
A bit like Freddie himself.
GREG THE RISE AND FALL GUY
RADIO One’s Greg James will host new Channel 4 reality TV contest Rise And Fall, created by the makers of hit BBC One show The Traitors.
It involves 16 contestants split into two groups – Rulers, who live in an opulent penthouse, and Grafters, who face basic conditions in the basement.
The Grafters will tackle a series of gruelling games and challenges to build a cash fund only the Rulers can win.
The Rulers must encourage their opponents to work harder, but if they push too much, may be toppled from power.
Anyone can rise to power, or fall, but only one Ruler can win the prize. Who goes up or down will be decided by the other players. And if you can get your head around all that, it will be worth tuning in for.
Greg said: “It’s an amazingly mad idea and the contestants are going to make some incredible TV.”
WOSSY'S SPELL ON THE ROAD
JONATHAN Ross has clearly spent too much time in The Masked Singer’s fantasy land – as he is now casting wishes at an ancient tourist attraction.
Touring Yorkshire in his new travel show for More4, he prays over the statue of soothsayer Mother Shipton in her cave at Knaresborough.
Jonathan says: “I wish that even if they find the footage of my early career, I still don’t get cancelled.”
Elsewhere on Jonathan Ross’s Myths And Legends, the presenter and chat show host leaves a bowl of cream for some small mythical creatures called hobs and learns how methane gas might be behind ghostly will-o’-the-wisps.
The four-part series begins on March 13 at 9pm.