How I cheated death: Freddie Flintoff reveals how Top Gear crash left him battling anxieties and nightmares and 'changed his life forever'
6 August 2024, 08:04 | Updated: 6 August 2024, 08:29
Andrew ‘Freddie’ Flintoff struggled with anxiety, nightmares and flashbacks after the horror Top Gear crash that left him with life-changing injuries.
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The former cricket star and TV presenter sustained injuries that “changed his life forever” while filming an episode of Top Gear at the Dunsfold Aerodrome, Surrey, in December 2022.
Flintoff avoided the public eye for several months after the crash, but has now made a return to the cricket world as a coach.
Speaking at the start of Freddie Flintoff’s Field of Dreams on Tour, a new BBC show documenting the journey of a young cricket team, the Top Gear star admitted to suffering from nightmares and anxiety in the wake of the crash.
"I thought I could just shake it off. I wanted to shake it off and say 'everything's all right', but it's not been the case," Flintoff said.
He added: “I thought I could just shake it off … but it’s not been a case of that. It’s been a lot harder than I thought. As much as I’ve wanted to go out and do things, I’ve just not been able to.
“I was full of anxiety. I had nightmares, I had flashbacks.
“It’s been so hard to cope with. But some of these lads have had a tough life.
“You’ve got to try and put it into perspective and I feel guilty I can’t do that. I don’t want to sit here and feel sorry for myself, I don’t want sympathy.”
Fans had been hoping Freddie may be able to return to Top Gear at some point but the BBC has confirmed it will not be revived ‘for the foreseeable future’.
The former England cricket captain came to a multi-million-pound settlement with the BBC following his car crash.
He reportedly negotiated the payout to make up for two years’ loss of earnings.
Freddie is understood to have opted against suing the BBC, which may have earned him a “bigger payout”, The Sun reports.
The BBC has since “sincerely apologised” to Freddie. Both parties are described as being ‘satisfied’ with the outcome of the settlement.
Flintoff was seen in public for the first time since his horror crash in September, 2023.
Flintoff, 45, was seen on the balcony of Cardiff's Sophia Gardens to watch England's opening one-day international against New Zealand, which they lost by eight wickets.
Speaking at the time, England captain Jos Buttler said it was "great" to have Flintoff around the squad and he had "settled in really well".
