Freddie Flintoff’s 18-year-old wife was told to expect the worst after his cardiac arrest on the set of Top Gear last year, with surgeons competing to repair the English cricket legend just a week before he turned 45.
Last December, Flintoff rode without a helmet and without an airbag to protect him in an open-top, three-wheeled Morgan Super 3, which could reach speeds of up to 130mph, in icy conditions.
As he flipped and slid across the track, his face was dragged across the tarmac, causing life-threatening injuries to the former England legend and requiring him to be airlifted to hospital.
He spent four hours on the operating table as surgeons fought to put a national treasure back together.
Flintoff’s wife Rachael, 42, who had rushed to Surrey from the family home in Cheshire to be by his side, was at one point told to expect the worst as doctors worked diligently to repair Freddie’s gaping wounds.
Flintoff has been seen for the first time since his horrific accident last year
Flintoff’s crash happened as the star was driving a three-wheeled open-top Morgan Super 3, which could reach speeds of up to 130mph on Top Gear.
Andrew Flintoff (left) works with the England team nine months after a near-fatal crash in which his wife Rachel (pictured right) was told to expect the worst
Flintoff’s scars are visible as the former star quietly started working with England’s fast bowlers
The England powerhouse has been working with the team at the Oval, the scene of his last Test when he dramatically dismissed Australian captain Ricky Ponting to help England to Ashes success
So his condition was ‘touch and go’; his own young son admitted that he was “lucky to be alive.”
Nine months later, the England all-rounder is pictured back in his happy place, helping the England cricketers at the Oval as they prepare for their ODI World Cup.
Of course, there are still signs of the terrifying ordeal the all-rounder endured.
There is a scar that extends from the bridge of his nose to his chin, indicating multiple reconstructive surgeries and skin grafts.
The right side of his face also appears to show signs of nerve damage. His nose is still covered in gauze and the abrasions on his face are still fresh.
Freddie’s wife Rachael, a model and entrepreneur, has undoubtedly been his source of support throughout the ordeal.
The couple married in 2005 at the glitzy Pavilion Road Hotel in Knightsbridge, London, on March 5, but due to Freddie’s work commitments they were unable to enjoy a honeymoon shortly after their special day.
They now share four children: Holly, 17, Corey, 16, Rocky, 13, and Preston, two, who is named after the Lancashire town where Freddie grew up.
Originally from Hayward’s Heath, West Sussex, Rachael founded her company Strawberry Promotions at the age of 19, providing promotional staff for luxury events.
Pictured: Flintoff and his wife Rachel (seen here on their wedding day in 2005)
The former England cricket star, 45, was undoubtedly supported throughout his ordeal by his family, including his wife of 18 years, Rachael, 42, who is a model and entrepreneur. Pictured are Freddie, Rachael and their children Holly, Corey and Rocky in 2014
Freddie, who is back at work with the England cricket team, is keeping his family life largely private, but the couple (pictured) have previously shared some details about their romance
The cricketer turned TV star continued his self-styled ‘Daredevil’ role in Top Gear
Through her work in events, she met her husband at the Edgbaston Cricket Ground in 2002.
She admitted to The Daily Mail in 2007: ‘He really wasn’t my type physically because I always like black men, but I thought he was the funniest man I’d ever met.
“He managed to get my cell number and texted me a few times, and we met up for drinks, and I was pretty much in awe of his charm.”
The couple welcomed their first child Holly in 2004, followed shortly after by Corey and Rocky in 2008.
Freddie was convinced that he and Rachael would not have any more children after the arrival of their son Rocky.
In 2016 he said: ‘We’ve thought about it. I originally wanted five, but you got three and that felt like enough. I couldn’t go back to the diaper stage now.”
But in April 2020, the couple revealed they had secretly welcomed their fourth child over Christmas 2019 and shared their youngest son’s name.
Rachael – who lives with her family in a £2.5million house in Altrincham, Greater Manchester, according to The Sun – always calls her husband Andrew, never Freddie. She tried it once, she previously admitted, but he reacted like a scalded cat.
‘Freddie is a working name, but also a bit of a funny name, and although many of his friends call him Freddie, to me he is Andrew, a husband and a father, rather than a sportsman and a celebrity.’
It is unknown which of Freddie’s former TV roles he will still play after the crash.
Top Gear fans could have enjoyed watching their favorite stars as they drove around one of the world’s most iconic race tracks, battled through the sands of Morocco and welcomed old faces to the next series of the show once filming had wrapped.