Andrew ‘Freddie’ Flintoff has broken his silence on his near-fatal car crash in a new trailer for his show Field of Dreams.
The 46-year-old star fronts the new series in which he assembles a team of non-cricketers with the aim of taking them on a tour of India.
But the trip was almost cancelled after his crash in December 2022, when Freddie’s car overturned at Dunsfold airfield in Surrey, leaving him “lucky to be alive”.
In the trailer, which Freddie shared on his Instagram on Tuesday, Freddie says of the incident: “But something happened that changed my life forever.”
He is also seen telling the players: “We’re all going to discover something about ourselves, including me.”
Andrew ‘Freddie’ Flintoff has broken his silence on his near-fatal car crash in a new trailer for his show Field of Dreams
The 46-year-old star is at the helm of the new series in which he assembles a team of amateur players with the aim of taking them on a tour to India.
The group of boys are all from Preston, Freddie’s hometown, and he tells them excitedly: “For everything I’ve done in my career, you guys are my greatest achievement.”
He says, “I want to take you on tour. I want to take you to India,” before adding, “I want kids to learn to be out of their comfort zone.”
“I just hope and pray that all the kids take advantage of these opportunities and grab them with both hands.”
The accident left scars on his face that, although still visible, seemed to be improving.
Fans of the star have been relieved to see his recovery on track after becoming the new head coach of the Superchargers.
While Freddie initially kept a low profile following the incident, he has begun to return to the public eye in recent months.
Although the signs of his wounds were clearly visible at first, they are now beginning to fade a little.
BBC bosses said it would be “inappropriate” to continue filming Top Gear after the incident.
In the trailer, which Freddie shared on his Instagram on Tuesday, Freddie says of the incident: “But something happened that changed my life forever.”
But the trip was almost cancelled after his crash in December 2022, when Freddie’s car overturned at Dunsfold airfield in Surrey, leaving him “lucky to be alive”.
In a statement, the broadcaster said: ‘Given the exceptional circumstances, the BBC has decided to suspend the UK programme for the foreseeable future.
‘The BBC remains committed to Freddie, Chris and Paddy, who have been at the heart of the show’s revival since 2019, and we are excited about the new projects being developed with each of them.
“We will have more to say on this in the near future. We know that suspending the show will be disappointing news for fans, but it is the right thing to do.”
Freddie was seen in public for the first time after the accident in September last year, when he was photographed with cuts on his face.
He was seen making a return to senior England cricket by joining the coaching staff at Sophia Gardens in Cardiff for the one-day international series against New Zealand as a mentor.
It was not the first time that filming for Top Gear has caused serious injuries: both Richard Hammond and Jeremy Clarkson have previously told of horrific accidents that left them needing urgent medical attention while filming the BBC show.
After the accident, Freddie’s wife Rachael reportedly begged him not to work, which may have influenced his decision to return to the relatively quiet world of cricket, rather than the increasingly daring lifestyle he had been leading before his accident.
A source told the Sun: ‘As a loving husband and father, he understands the fear his family feels about what happened, knowing he could have been killed. However, he is determined to resume his work in television at some point.
It was not the first time that filming for Top Gear has caused serious injuries: both Richard Hammond and Jeremy Clarkson have spoken of accidents that have forced them to require urgent medical attention.
‘That’s why this decision will be painful for Freddie, but he knows that, at least for now, there are more important things in life.’
And Freddie’s son Rocky looks to be following in his father’s cricketing footsteps after scoring a superb century for England’s Under-19s on the third day of their second unofficial Test against Sri Lanka on Thursday.
The 16-year-old converted his 82 into three figures off 176 balls before being dismissed five deliveries later for 106.
Rocky signed his first professional contract with Lancashire last month, having already won a massive amount for the second team, while he also scored a match-winning 106 to help England’s Under-19s beat a Young Lions Invitational XI at Loughborough.
At just 16, Rocky has become the youngest player to reach a century for England Under-19s.
He will be keen to follow in his father’s footsteps, with Andrew having played 79 Tests, 141 One-Day Internationals and seven T20s over the course of a glittering career.
The all-rounder, whose England career spanned from 1999 to 2009, was an integral part of England’s historic Ashes against Australia in 2005.
