Former England cricket star and TV presenter Freddie Flintoff has revealed the extent of his injuries and the ongoing mental struggles he faces following his high-profile Top Gear crash in December 2022.
The harrowing footage, aired for the first time on BBC One, shows Flintoff, 46, reflecting on the accident just a week and a half after the event. "Genuinely should not be here after what happened," he says candidly, his face bearing the scars of the crash. "This is going to be a long road back, and I have only just started and I am struggling already."
Flintoff sustained serious facial injuries and broken ribs when he crashed a car while filming the second season of "Freddie Flintoff's Field of Dreams" at Dunsfold Aerodrome in Surrey. The crash occurred midway through the filming of the series, which saw the retired cricketer coach a team of teenagers from troubled backgrounds.
The programme, which aired yesterday, also featured footage filmed seven months after the accident, where Flintoff grapples with the lingering effects of the trauma. He admits struggling to leave his home due to anxiety and describes experiencing nightmares and flashbacks. "I thought I could just shake it off," he says, "I wanted to say 'here I am, I'm alright'. But it's not been a case of that, it's been a lot harder than I thought. As much as I wanted to go out and do things, I have just not been able to."
Despite his struggles, Flintoff ultimately managed to make the trip to India, part of the "Field of Dreams" series. The trip was delayed by over a year due to the crash, highlighting the profound impact the event has had on his life.
The incident has also led to Flintoff stepping back from Top Gear, which has been suspended by the BBC for the "foreseeable future". It has been reported that the BBC reached a financial settlement with Flintoff, reportedly worth £9 million.
Flintoff has returned to cricket as part of the England coaching staff and is currently in his first full-time coaching role with Northern Superchargers in The Hundred. He is continuing to rebuild his life following the crash, acknowledging that he is "still here, I've got another chance, I've got a go at it⦠a second go."
