Over a year and a half has passed since a tragic incident occurred on the Top Gear set, and Andrew “Freddie” Flintoff has opened up about his ongoing struggles with anxiety, nightmares, and flashbacks following his life-altering injuries.
Flintoff was behind the wheel of an open-top three-wheeled vehicle when it overturned and slid down the track at Dunsfold Aerodrome in Surrey in December 2022. He was airlifted to the hospital after sustaining facial injuries and fractured ribs.
In a new BBC program titled Freddie Flintoff’s Field of Dreams on Tour, the 46-year-old shares that he was “crying every two minutes” and only left his home for medical appointments during the seven months following the crash in a Morgan Super 3.
This docuseries serves as a sequel to 2022’s Freddie Flintoff’s Field of Dreams, where Flintoff guides a group of young individuals from his hometown of Preston on a cricket tour of India—one that was postponed due to his accident.
The premiere episode features Flintoff appearing to be in a hospital bed as he reflects on the incident. “I genuinely should not be here with what happened,” he shares. “This will be a long road back, and I’ve only just begun. I feel stuck already. I need help, and I recognize I’m not great at asking for it. I have to stop crying every couple of minutes.”
He continues, “I have to focus on the positives, haven’t I? I’m still here, I’ve been given another chance, and I need to embrace that. I’m viewing this as my second opportunity. I’m really eager to reconnect with the lads and be around them.”
Seven months later, after numerous surgeries for his facial injuries, the series depicts Flintoff contemplating further the emotional and physical repercussions of the accident.
“I thought I could just move past it… but that hasn’t been the case. It’s been more challenging than I anticipated. Despite my desire to go out and engage in activities, I’ve struggled to do so.
“I was overwhelmed with anxiety. I experienced nightmares and flashbacks. Coping has been incredibly difficult. However, I recognize that some of these lads have faced tough lives. I need to put things into perspective, but I feel guilty for not being able to do that. I don’t want to wallow in self-pity or seek sympathy.”
Following Flintoff’s accident, the BBC announced it had “paused” Top Gear, which had been airing since 2002, for the foreseeable future and provided him with £9 million in compensation.
The former Lancashire all-rounder has gradually made his way back into the spotlight, rejoining the England backroom staff for their T20 series against the West Indies earlier this year, and serving as head coach for the Northern Superchargers in The Hundred.
In the episode, his former Lancashire teammate Kyle Hogg, who assists in coaching the team, informs the players about Flintoff’s crash and confirms that their trip to India will be postponed.
Although Flintoff isolated himself for several months during his recovery, it was his commitment to the team that ultimately inspired him to step back into the limelight. He is later seen reuniting with the team and asking if they still want to go to India.
It was a poignant reunion. “I missed you,” one of the boys expresses, while another inquires if he is “feeling 100%.”
“Not really,” Flintoff replies. “To be honest, I’m not sure I’ll ever be fully there again. I’m better than I was, but I don’t know what ‘fully better’ means. I am who I am now; I’m different than I used to be, and that’s something I’ll have to come to terms with for the rest of my life. Better? No. Different.”
Once the team arrives in India, Flintoff shares that he feels “like a father to the lads” and mentions that cricket is aiding his recovery from the accident. “When I’m around cricket, I forget everything and become immersed in the game,” he explains.
“I feel like I’ve been more vulnerable than ever in the past year, so I’m turning to cricket to help me once more.”
Freddie Flintoff’s Field of Dreams on Tour is set to premiere on BBC One at 9pm on August 13 and will also be available on BBC iPlayer.
