The Stig has unmasked himself to sue the BBC over the horror Freddie Flintoff crash he claims he ‘warned’ them about.
In 2022, Flintoff suffered serious injuries after the open-topped Morgan Super 3 he was driving overturned.
The presenter reached a £12million compensation settlement with the BBC in 2023 and the show was rested by the broadcaster.
However, passenger and pro driver Paul Rees has now claimed he was ‘thrown under the bus’ by the studio after the incident.
Rees drove as The Stig from 2019 to 2022, a faceless character from Top Gear who doesn’t speak and walks around in a white suit.
He told The Sun in a new interview that the crash felt like it happened in slow motion, and he was convinced they would be ‘lucky’ to get out and be in wheelchairs.
As the vehicle rolled, he says he ‘saw red’, which turned out to be Freddie’s blood as the presenter was left in a bad way.
‘I genuinely felt like we were going to potentially die, because we had no protection,’ he said. ‘I was acutely aware the only thing holding my head off the tarmac was Fred’s head. I still have no idea how I walked away.’
He said he had warned Freddie that he needed to wear a helmet, but the presenter told him he was supposed to wear a racing cap and comedy glasses.
The crew then apparently confirmed this, and they went ahead with the plan.
While in the car, Paul then explained to Freddie that he had never driven a three-wheeler before and was outside his ‘comfort zone’.
He claims he spoke to a Morgan mechanic and was told the car couldn’t roll unless it was steered going backwards, which he said he relayed to the presenter.
The BBC’s filings claim to have recordings from the in-car mics and allege he didn’t make it clear enough he had no experience of that vehicle.
To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web
browser that
supports HTML5
video
After taking the corner a few times, the car rolled and skidded to a halt around 50 metres away, with the drivers upside down.
‘It was like a war injury, something you see in the movies. We just went into “We need to save [Freddie]” mode,’ he said.
BBC Studios’ defence filings claim Rees told Flintoff: ‘Now turn right… now full power, full power’, as they approached the corner.
Paul claims the medic on site immediately told him he was ‘not equipped’ for that type of injury or situation.
Due to the extent of Freddie’s injuries and the nearest ambulance being ‘two hours away’, the pro driver said his own injuries were not checked until much later.
Reportedly, the set used to have a full-sized ambulance at all times but this was swapped for the trained medic in a ‘small hatchback’.
He was sent to hospital on a spinal board, but despite having been given the all clear, in 2023, he discovered he had broken his back.
It wasn’t publicly known there was another driver in the car until recently, when it was revealed Paul is seeking up to £150,000 for personal injury.
BBC Studios claims his ‘faulty instructions’ led to the accident, as the ex-Formula 2 driver was the designated professional that day.
A BBC Studios spokesperson told Metro: ‘We dispute this claim and are defending it. As it’s now before the courts, it would be inappropriate to comment further.’
In its legal response, the organisation denied it was negligent ‘as alleged or at all’. It is denying his appeals for compensation.
Metro also understands that the BBC provided Paul with what it believes to have been comprehensive medical and welfare support following the accident.
It has been claimed his account of the crash contradicts the independent accident investigation report.
Paul refutes this, saying he did not hear from the BBC after an executive told him to ‘dull down’ his comments, until he was offered a therapy session with other staff.
The driver claims a BBC rep insisted he came to London for a meeting, during which he says they tried to blame him for the crash.
Paul said: ‘I expected an arm to be put around me, and it wasn’t whatsoever. I said to her, ‘How are you pinning this on me?’. She’s like, ‘Well, you were the pro driver sat next to him. We’re not pinning it on you as such, but you probably need to get a good lawyer’.
‘It felt like the accident just happened over again, like I was being thrown under the bus.’
The Porsche Supercup driver added that he loved Top Gear and the crew who worked on it, but feels the BBC has ‘lessons to learn’.