Freddie Flintoff returns to TV after his near-fatal Top Gear crash: Ex-England star ‘quietly working on’ BBC cricket show Field of Dreams

England cricket legend Andrew ‘Freddie’ Flintoff has quietly returned to television for the first time since a horror crash on Top Gear sidelined him for months.

The Ashes hero, 46, was ‘lucky to be alive’ after his three-wheeled Morgan Super 3 open-top car, which had no airbags, overturned in December 2022, leaving him with serious facial injuries and several broken ribs. .

Following the near-fatal crash, the BBC announced it would be pausing Top Gear – and in November last year the corporation was given a break for the ‘foreseeable future’.

Flintoff, who is still recovering from his ‘life-changing significant’ injuries, is said to have reached a £9 million settlement with the company for two years of lost income as a result of the crash.

After returning to the England cricket team as coach, Flintoff has also met with production company South Shore on a second series of his BBC cricket show Field of Dreams.

The former Top Gear presenter has spoken to the crew and filming is expected to begin in the spring.

A TV source said this The sun: ‘Freddie and staff have been quietly working on it since last month.

‘It will be his first major TV project in two years. Filming will start in a few months when it’s warmer outside and will take place in the north of England.’

The source added that Flintoff is excited to return to grassroots cricket – and will see many of the same production team from series one involved again.

Flintoff was driving a Morgan Super 3 – a lightweight ‘trackday’ sports car with two wheels at the front and one at the back – at the Dunsfold test circuit near Guildford, Surrey, on December 13, 2022, when it overturned.

The open-top car has no airbags and the cricketer was not wearing a helmet when the car rolled over at around 35km/h – meaning he ‘scraped’ his face on the tarmac in horrific scenes shown on TV production crew witnessed.

Flintoff reportedly required a number of operations after the crash, in which he suffered broken ribs and facial bones after being dragged along the road.

Several staff who witnessed it were reported sick after reportedly being diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder – a claim the BBC has denied.

He retreated from the spotlight at the insistence of his family to recover and broke cover for the first time last year to coach England cricketers.

Flintoff was photographed in public for the first time since the crash in September and had visible facial injuries as he joined the squad for their one-day international series against New Zealand.

Yesterday, ECB director Rob Key hinted that Flintoff could have a longer role with England.

Flintoff, who made 79 Test appearances during his playing career, joined the white-ball team for their one-day series against New Zealand after watching three Ashes Tests as Keys’ incognito guest last summer.

In November, Flintoff took the biggest step in his return to cricket when he was appointed head coach of the Northern Superchargeres for the upcoming Hundred tournament, having earned the praise of several England players, including Stuart Broad, following his stint with the team of Matthew Mott. .

But speaking on the Tailenders podcast, Key praised the former Lancashire player, saying: ‘When he joined the white-ball team that was the first time he was seen in public and everyone enjoys seeing him, because you forget that everyone has gotten bigger. looking at him.

‘And since then he’s back to his old self, which is great to see. Jimmy (Anderson) played golf with him the other day.

“He’s come so far from where he was. I think he will be a brilliant coach because he has empathy. He was a great player who also had problems, just like (Ben) Stokes, who had hard times – and you scars you.

‘Freddie is a bit the same. They know what it’s like to fail and it’s so helpful to have empathy for players. Their world comes to an end when they are released, or when you get hit by a car in the park. They understand.’

Flintoff joined Top Gear as host alongside Paddy McGuiness in 2019. They joined Chris Harris from the 27th series of the BBC Two show in the main presentation.

In a statement on Top Gear in November, the BBC said: ‘Given the exceptional circumstances, the BBC has decided to postpone the UK show for the foreseeable future.

‘The BBC remains committed to Freddie, Chris and Paddy, who have been at the heart of the show’s renaissance since 2019, and we’re excited about the new projects being developed with each of them.

‘We will have more to say about this in the near future. We know postponing the show will be disappointing news for fans, but it’s the right thing to do.

‘All other Top Gear activities remain unaffected by this hiatus, including international formats, digital, magazines and licensing.’

The BBC declined to comment.