Freddie Flintoff makes BBC return after horrific Top Gear crash as facial injuries heal

Freddie Flintoff is making his return to the BBC after a dangerous Top Gear crash left him “lucky to be alive”.

Flintoff was left with significant facial injuries after the accident, which occurred in December 2022 and led to the BBC delaying the motoring show for the “foreseeable future”. At the time, the corporation said it would pause production as it would be “inappropriate” to continue.

In September, Flintoff made his first public appearance since the crash at the England cricket team’s opening one-day international against New Zealand, and could be seen with facial injuries.

Now, after reportedly agreeing a financial settlement with the corporation’s commerical branch BBC Studios worth £9m, Flintoff has been spotted once again, this time filming a forthcoming TV project with the channel – and a new photo showed that his injuries are on their way to being healed.

Flintoff is said to be filming a second series of BBC cricket series Freddie Flintoff’s Field of Dreams, which will take him to India to shoot with the Lancashire Cricket Academy, who are on tour.

A source told The Sun: “This will be a huge comfort to his fans because it shows he’s healing well and returning to two of his greatest passions – sport and television.

“It’s obvious that there is some scarring, which everyone expected, but Freddie looks to have made huge progress since he was last seen in public playing cricket. He’s clearly comfortable enough to get in front of a camera again – something which was not the case this time last year.

Flintoff, whose real name is Andrew, was reportedly filming a car review at Dunsfold Park Aerodrome, home of the Top Gear test track, when the horrific crash happened.

According to reports, Flintoff’s open-topped three-wheel Morgan Super 3 car flipped and slid along the track when he was driving at high speed. He and a crew member in the passenger seat were wearing helmets, but Flintoff suffered facial injuries and several broken ribs.

It’s also been reported that an “apprehensive” Flintoff had raised safety concerns ahead of the stunt-gone-wrong, “questioning whether or not it was OK, given the vehicle and conditions on the track”.

The BBC said it would be conducting a health and safety investigation into the hit series.

Earlier this year, a BBC spokesperson told The Independent: “In March we concluded our investigation into the accident at the Top Gear Test Track in Surrey, which regrettably injured presenter Freddie Flintoff.

“We have sincerely apologised to Freddie and continue to support him with his recovery. A health and safety review of the show is underway, in line with our procedures.”