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Freddie Flintoff has revealed why his two-year-old son ‘wouldn’t come near’ him following his horror Top Gear crash.
The former England cricketer, 47, suffered severe facial and rib injuries during filming for the BBC One show at Dunsfold Aerodrome, in Surrey, in December 2022.
Driving a three-wheeled Morgan supercar, the vehicle overturned on the track and dragged Freddie’s face along the ground, cutting open the side of his nose, cheek and lips, and shattering his jawbone and teeth.
Speaking on Piers Morgan’s Uncensored talk show, the legendary cricketer unveiled the impact the incident had on his four children and wife Rachael Wools.
He said: ‘[After the crash] I would get snappy and angry. The kids were incredible.
‘It was the younger one, Preston, because he would have been about two, two and a half, at the time and he wouldn’t come near me to begin with because I was a mess.
‘It’s all good now. But Rachael was strong. I suppose she had to be for both of us.’
Freddie went on to explain that he has only started driving in the last four or five months.
‘To begin with, I was a bit nervy, you know, even playing golf, for a long period of time. I took golf up in the past few years and love it,’ he added.
‘But I wouldn’t even drive the golf buggy. I can’t walk because my knees are bad, so I get one of my mates to drive. Just being slapped behind the wheel and getting all them thoughts back.
What happened to Freddie Flintoff?
Freddie was involved in a crash on December 13, 2022, at Dunsfold Park Aerodrome in Surrey, which has been the Top Gear test track since 2002.
He was driving an open-topped, three-wheel Morgan Super 3 when it flipped and slid along the track during filming.
He was airlifted to hospital and suffered multiple facial injuries and broken ribs – but not before having to wait 45 minutes for the helicopter to arrive.
Flintoff’s injuries were described at the time as being non-life-threatening, but his son Corey said he was ‘lucky to be alive’.
He continued: ‘I’m better than I was. But I suppose it’s just always going to be something I’ve got to keep aware of.’
During his chat with Piers, he went on to explain that he’s still experiencing triggers and flashbacks.
‘Every time I go to bed at night, I’m back [at the crash], he explained. ‘I suffer from PTSD, I have flashbacks and nightmares, but I’ve probably got more of an acceptance of them now.’
Discussing what has got him through the most difficult moments, the 47-year-old said it has been his family, friends and cricket that has ‘helped me more than anything’.
Previously, Freddie revealed that he ‘didn’t know if he could carry on’ after his horrific crash during the filming of the second season of BBC’s Freddie’ Flintoff’s Field of Dreams.
Asked by a teenager in Blackpool who was being recruited to his team, he explained: ‘I didn’t know if I had it in me to carry on, not that I wanted to die or anything like that, I just didn’t know if I had it in me, and that took a while.’
This came after he also revealed the extent of his injuries in a Disney+ documentary, where he admitted he wished he had died at points in his recovery.
After the crash took place, the BBC made the decision to ‘rest’ Top Gear and it is believed they reached a financial settlement with Freddie, worth around £9million.
Freddie Flintoff’s interview will be available to watch on Piers Morgan: Uncensored.
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