Andrew ‘Freddie’ Flintoff will resume filming for the BBC a year after the Top Gear horror crash which his son said he was ‘lucky’ to survive.
The English all-rounder, 45, was seen in public for the first time on Friday, nine months after the near-fatal crash at the show’s test track in Dunsfold, Surrey, which left him with serious facial injuries and several broken ribs.
The father-of-four was “lucky to be alive” when his three-wheeled open-top Morgan Super 3 overturned in icy conditions, according to his 17-year-old son Corey.
He was airlifted to hospital where he spent the next five weeks recovering.
Top Gear employees who witnessed the horror hit were declared ill indefinitely with post-traumatic stress disorder. The future of Top Gears is still in limbo after the latest series was axed.
Andrew ‘Freddie’ Flintoff, 45, was pictured in public for the first time earlier this week, almost a year after the horror Top Gear crash that almost killed him
Flintoff’s injuries were still evident nine months after the crash, with him suffering broken ribs and facial bones
In the aftermath of the crash, Flintoff’s wife Rachael repeatedly begged him to stay off work.
The scars from the blow were still visible on Flintoff’s face when he was seen with the England cricket team during their one-day international with New Zealand in Cardiff.
And now he will return to filming this winter, with sources saying he has recovered enough to resume the second series of cricket series Field of Dreams.
One source told The Mirror that Freddie is ‘getting ready to return to work’.
“We know how much this series meant to him,” they said. “It was a passion project that was also loved by viewers, so it’s great that it marks his return to the screen after what must have been an extremely difficult time.”
It comes after fears were raised in April that Flintoff would not return to filming the show this year.
The first series of Field of Dreams saw 3.3 million people tune in to see Freddie try to get children from his home town of Preston interested in cricket.
The serious accident saw Flintoff leave Top Gear and several staff members who witnessed it have taken indefinite sick leave due to post-traumatic stress disorder.
But Flintoff is now thought to have recovered sufficiently to start filming for the BBC this winter for the second series of his ‘passion project’ series Field of Dreams
Staff watched in horror as the 45-year-old crashed into a three-wheeled open-top Morgan Super 3 car
In an attempt to prove that the sport wasn’t just for the posh, the former England player formed a team of youngsters to compete against both a private school and veterans.
The BBC announced in October – a month before the Top Gear crash – that it had commissioned a second series of the show.
Flintoff said at the time: ‘Working with the boys has been one of the most incredible experiences of my life, but the work isn’t done yet! I’m really happy that we can continue the hard work we’ve all put in, but on a much larger scale.”
Last year, sporting hero Freddie Flintoff embarked on a mission to find untapped cricket talent in his hometown of Preston. Not only did he put together a cricket team like no other, he also helped transform the lives of his recruits and brought a community together.
In the new four-part sequel series, Flintoff takes part of his team and a handful of new recruits on a new adventure.
Players from the first series – including Sean, Ben and Adnan – are also expected to return.
Clare Sillery, head of documentary committee, said at the time: ‘Transformative’ is probably a word that is probably overused in relation to TV shows, but in his Field of Dreams series, Freddie Flintoff really changed the lives of some boys from Preston. called up to the cricket team.
“The warmth and authenticity of the series made it a huge hit with viewers, and I am thrilled that it is ready to take on the challenge of a second series and I can’t wait to see how it unfolds.” ‘
Kevin Pietersen and Piers Morgan were among those who sent messages of support to Flintoff after he returned to public attention this week.
Flintoff returned to English cricket this week after joining the coaching staff as a mentor. His return prompted messages of support from former teammate Kevin Pietersen
The star, who stopped to talk to people, has made a quiet reintroduction to cricket this summer, working with the England team
Pietersen, who was part of England’s Ashes-winning team alongside Flintoff in 2005, was delighted to see his former teammate involved in cricket again.
Pietersen posted a photo of Flintoff and wrote: ‘Freddie BACK!!!!’ along with six heart emojis.
Meanwhile, Morgan also stated that it was ‘brilliant’ to see Flintoff back.
He appeared in good spirits as he shared a joke with England stars Chris Woakes and Mark Wood, and was also seen shaking hands with Jonny Bairstow.