Photo: Instagram / Freddie Flintoff
In reality television, much if not all of the on-screen drama is scripted. On a show like Top Gear, which remains the most popular BBC program ever created, sometimes the drama is an unwanted side-effect of all the car tests and stunts involved.
Freddie Flintoff, the former England cricketer who became a permanent host on the show in 2019, has been injured during an on-set crash. The news first broke in The Sun tabloid, which claimed in a typically bombastic fashion that he’d been involved in a “terrifying” crash, required medical assistance on site and was then airlifted to the hospital for further investigations and treatment.
At the same time, a source told the tab that Flintoff wasn’t speeding at the time of the crash and that all safety measures had been taken. Co-hosts Chris Harris and Paddy McGuiness were also at the track, but Flintoff was the only one doing any actual shooting that day.
The BBC has confirmed the report, adding that, while Flintoff remains in the hospital as of the time of the press, his injuries are believed to be non-life-threatening. That said, the network did not release an update on his condition, saying only that further information will be disclosed in due time.
“Freddie was injured in an accident at the Top Gear test track this morning - with crew medics attending the scene immediately,” a BBC spokesperson says. “He has been taken to hospital for further treatment and we will confirm more details in due course.”
Considering the kind of content Top Gear delivers, accidents tend to happen quite a lot, regardless of safety measures. Even for Flintoff, this isn’t the first time he’s been involved in an accident. In fact, it happened twice during his first year on the show, first crashing into a market stall in Nottinghamshire in February 2019 and then, later that same year, crashing during a drag race at Elvington Airfield in Yorkshire, when he ran out of road.
On neither of these occasions was he injured seriously, so here’s to hoping this third time won’t be the exception. As of the moment of press, Flintoff’s family has not addressed the accident.
At the same time, a source told the tab that Flintoff wasn’t speeding at the time of the crash and that all safety measures had been taken. Co-hosts Chris Harris and Paddy McGuiness were also at the track, but Flintoff was the only one doing any actual shooting that day.
The BBC has confirmed the report, adding that, while Flintoff remains in the hospital as of the time of the press, his injuries are believed to be non-life-threatening. That said, the network did not release an update on his condition, saying only that further information will be disclosed in due time.
“Freddie was injured in an accident at the Top Gear test track this morning - with crew medics attending the scene immediately,” a BBC spokesperson says. “He has been taken to hospital for further treatment and we will confirm more details in due course.”
Considering the kind of content Top Gear delivers, accidents tend to happen quite a lot, regardless of safety measures. Even for Flintoff, this isn’t the first time he’s been involved in an accident. In fact, it happened twice during his first year on the show, first crashing into a market stall in Nottinghamshire in February 2019 and then, later that same year, crashing during a drag race at Elvington Airfield in Yorkshire, when he ran out of road.
On neither of these occasions was he injured seriously, so here’s to hoping this third time won’t be the exception. As of the moment of press, Flintoff’s family has not addressed the accident.
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