Freddie Flintoff returns to TV after his near-fatal Top Gear crash

England cricket legend Andrew ‘Freddie’ Flintoff has quietly made a return to TV for the primary time since a horror crash on Top Gear put him out of motion for months.

The Ashes hero, 46, was ‘fortunate to be alive’ after his is open-topped three-wheel 130mph Morgan Super 3 automotive, which had no air baggage, flipped over in December 2022, leaving him with extreme facial accidents and several other damaged ribs. 

Following the near-fatal crash, the BBC introduced that it could pause Top Gear – and in November final 12 months it was rested for the ‘foreseeable future’.

Flintoff, who continues to be recovering from his ‘life-altering vital’ accidents, is known to have negotiated a £9million settlement with the company for 2 years’ lack of earnings on account of the crash.

Having returned to the England cricket aspect in a training capability, Flintoff has additionally been holding conferences with manufacturing firm South Shore over a second collection of his BBC cricket present Field of Dreams. 

The former Top Gear host has been talking with the crew and filming is predicted to begin within the spring.

A TV supply instructed The Sun: ‘Freddie and workers have been quietly engaged on it since final month. 

‘It will probably be his first main TV undertaking in two years. Filming will begin in a couple of months, when it is hotter exterior, and can happen within the north of England.’

The supply added that Flintoff is happy to be returning to grassroots cricket – and that lots of the identical manufacturing staff from collection one will probably be concerned once more.

Flintoff was driving a Morgan Super 3 – a light-weight ‘trackday’ sports activities automotive with two wheels on the entrance and one on the again – on the Dunsfold check monitor close to Guildford, Surrey on December 13 2022 when it overturned.

The open-top automotive has no airbags, and the cricketer was not sporting a helmet when the automotive flipped at round 22mph – that means he ‘scraped’ his face alongside the tarmac in horrific scenes witnessed by the TV manufacturing crew.

Flintoff reportedly required quite a lot of surgical procedures following the crash, struggling damaged ribs and facial bones after being dragged alongside the highway.

Several members of workers who witnessed it had been signed off sick, having reportedly been identified with post-traumatic stress dysfunction – a declare the BBC has denied.

He retreated from the limelight on the behest of his household with a purpose to get better, breaking cowl for the primary time final 12 months to educate England cricketers.

Flintoff was photographed for the primary time in public because the crash in September and had seen facial accidents as he joined up with the squad for his or her one-day worldwide collection towards New Zealand. 

Just yesterday, ECB managing director Rob Key hinted that Flintoff might have an extended position with England.

 Flintoff, who made 79 Test appearances throughout his enjoying profession, joined up with the white ball staff throughout their one-day collection towards New Zealand, after watching three Ashes Tests as an incognito visitor of Keys’ over the summer season.

Back in November, Flintoff took the most important step in his return to cricket, being named as the pinnacle coach for the Northern Superchargeres for the upcoming Hundred match, after incomes the plaudits of a number of England gamers together with Stuart Broad, following his stint with Matthew Mott’s aspect.

But talking on the Tailenders podcast, Key hailed the previous Lancashire participant, stating: ‘When he bought with the white-ball staff, that was the primary time he’d been seen in public and everybody loves seeing him, since you overlook everybody grew up watching him.

‘And since then he is now again to his outdated self a little bit bit, which is nice to see. Jimmy [Anderson] performed golf with him the opposite day.

‘He’s come on a lot from the place he was. I feel he’ll be a superb coach as a result of he has empathy. He was an incredible participant who additionally had struggles, like [Ben] Stokes, who has had his robust instances – and your scars are what make you.

‘Freddie is similar, a little bit bit. They know what it is wish to fail and that is so useful to have empathy for gamers – their world involves an finish after they get out, otherwise you get hit across the park. They have understanding.’

Flintoff had joined Top Gear as a bunch in 2019 alongside Paddy McGuiness. They joined Chris Harris from the twenty seventh collection of the BBC Two present in the primary presenting line-up.

In an announcement on Top Gear in November, the BBC mentioned: ‘Given the distinctive circumstances, the BBC has determined to relaxation the UK present for the foreseeable future.

‘The BBC stays dedicated to Freddie, Chris and Paddy who’ve been on the coronary heart of the present’s renaissance since 2019, and we’re enthusiastic about new tasks being developed with every of them.

‘We could have extra to say within the close to future on this. We know resting the present will probably be disappointing information for followers, however it’s the proper factor to do.

‘All different Top Gear exercise stays unaffected by this hiatus together with worldwide codecs, digital, magazines and licensing.’

The BBC declined to remark.