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Freddie Flintoff has revealed he ‘remembers everything’ about his horrific Top Gear crash.
In December 2022, the pro cricket player was airlifted to hospital and said to be ‘lucky to be alive’ after an accident at the Top Gear test track during filming at Dunsfold Aerdrome in Surrey.
He suffered from severe facial injuries and broken ribs, after he’d been driving an open-topped car at a reportedly high speed of 130mph when it flipped and slid along the track.
He remained out of the spotlight in the months that followed as he took time to heal and recover, before slowly returning to screens in a new series of Field of Dreams and the ITV revival of Bullseye.
He’s now speaking about the accident for one of the first times, in a new Disney+ documentary titled Flintoff.
In the trailer, the 57-year-old references the crash, saying: ‘I remember everything about it, it’s so vivid.’
He adds: ‘I’ve lived under the radar for seven months, one of the real frustrations was the speculation, that’s why I’m doing this now.’
The clip then gives an overview of Freddie’s rise to becoming the world-renowned cricketer he is, with clips from his as a teenager and through his sporting years.
It also appears to show moments from the life-threatening crash, as Freddie says: ‘This is what I’m left with.’
He adds: ‘I’m not saying embrace them, but I’m not trying to hide my scars.
‘It’s almost like a reset, I’m trying to find out what I am now.
‘I’ve always seemed to be able to flick a switch, I’ve got to find that switchagain.’
The synopsis for the documentary reads: ‘Flintoff is an exclusive documentary that takes an intimate and unprecedented look at the life of one of Britain’s most beloved sportsmen and TV personalities, Andrew ‘Freddie’ Flintoff.
‘With exclusive access to Flintoff and featuring his wife Rachael and close friends including Michael Vaughan, James Corden, and Jack Whitehall, the film documents his compelling life story from winning two Ashes series for England, to becoming a British TV icon, and finally, returning to the game following his life-altering car crash in 2022.
‘This is a story of resilience through career highs, personal challenges, and the pressures of living under the public gaze.’
This comes after Freddie spoke about having ‘nightmares’ from the crash while making his onscreen return.
While filming Field of Dreams seven months after the crash, he shows the physical injuries he suffered from, including cuts across his nose, chin and forehead, as well as the mental scars he continued to deal with months later.
He says: ‘I thought I could just shake it off, I wanted to shake it off, and say, “here I am, I’m alright,” but it’s not been a case of that, it’s been much harder than I thought.
‘As much as I wanted to go out and do things, I’ve just not been able to.’
‘I struggle with anxiety, I have nightmares, I have flashbacks, it’s so hard to cope,’ he adds.
After Freddie’s crash, the BBC announced that Top Gear has been taken off air for the foreseeable future.
Following months of speculation, the broadcaster confirmed it would be pausing production on the hit motoring series, co-presented by Take Me Out host Paddy McGuinness and automotive journalist Chris Harris, as it was felt it would be ‘inappropriate’, adding there would be a health and safety review.
In a statement, the BBC said: ‘Given the exceptional circumstances, the BBC has decided to rest the UK show for the foreseeable future.
‘The BBC remains committed to Freddie, Chris and Paddy who have been at the heart of the show’s renaissance since 2019, and we’re excited about new projects being developed with each of them.
‘We will have more to say in the near future on this. We know resting the show will be disappointing news for fans, but it is the right thing to do.’
Flintoff premieres on April 25 on Disney+.
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