Andrew ‘Freddie’ Flintoff is said to be ‘recovering post surgery’ after suffering a horror crash while filming for Top Gear – as the BBC launches an investigation into the incident and insists ‘all health and safety procedures’ were followed.
The presenter and former England cricketer, 45, was airlifted to hospital following a collision on a test track at the Dunsfold Aerodrome in Surrey on Tuesday.
Piers Morgan, a friend of Flintoff’s, today said he had since made contact with the family and offered an optimistic outlook.
‘I’m told it was a pretty serious crash and that Freddie’s going to be OK, but it might be a little bit more serious than first appreciated,’ he told talkSPORT.
Andrew ‘Freddie’ Flintoff (pictured) is said to be ‘recovering post surgery’ after suffering a horror crash while filming for Top Gear
The presenter and former England cricketer (pictured during a previous Top Gear filming session), 45, was airlifted to hospital following a collision on a test track at the Dunsfold Aerodrome in Surrey on Tuesday
‘I’m told he’s going to be OK which is great news, but I’m also told it was a pretty nasty bang and that he’s had surgery and is recovering now and we’ll have to wait and see.
‘I’ve been in contact with them privately, but I just want to wish him and his family, Rachel his wife, all the very best and I think we’re all just keeping our fingers crossed that the big man comes through alright.’
A spokesman for Top Gear said: ‘Our primary concern is and has been for the welfare of Freddie – as well as the Top Gear team.
‘All health and safety procedures were followed on site and the incident is now being fully investigated, in line with standard policy and practice.’
Flintoff was behind the wheel filming when the incident occurred, seeing on-site medics at the venue near Cranleigh rush to his aid. His co-star Chris Harris, who presents the show alongside Flintoff and Paddy McGuiness, was also at the Top Gear test track
A BBC spokesperson said following the incident: ‘Freddie was injured in an accident at the Top Gear test track this morning – with crew medics attending the scene immediately.
‘He has been taken to hospital for further treatment and we will confirm more details in due course.’
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) said it was ‘aware’ of the incident and ‘making inquiries’.
The HSE is an executive non-departmental public body, sponsored by the Department for Work and Pensions.
It is procedure for the BBC to report the incident to the HSE and for inquiries to be made.
Tuesday’s accident is not the first faced by Flintoff since he began working on the programme.
In February 2019 the presenter was involved in a minor incident when he crashed into a market stall in Mansfield, Nottinghamshire.
In September of the same year he crashed again while driving a three-wheel vehicle at a reported speed of 124mph during filming for Top Gear at Elvington Airfield in Yorkshire, but walked away from the incident unharmed.
Flintoff, who was appointed England cricket captain twice, first in 2006 and 2007, retired from the game in 2010, before briefly returning to play for Lancashire four years later.
Following his illustrious sporting career he became a familiar face on television, joining various reality and panel shows and appearing as the face of supermarket brand Morrisons.
In 2010 he became a team captain on Sky’s A League Of Their Own, hosted by James Corden before being crowned king of the jungle in the first series of the Australian version of I’m A Celebrity…Get Me Out Of Here! in 2015.
After appearing in the BBC drama Love, Lies and Records in 2017, he went on to make his musical theatre debut in Kay Mellor’s Fat Friends The Musical and hosted All Star Musicals for ITV in December the same year.
He was announced in October 2018, ahead of the show’s 27th series, as a new host of Top Gear alongside Paddy McGuinness and Chris Harris.
McGuinness also cheated death after losing control of a red Lamborghini in the Yorkshire Dales in 2020.
It comes after Richard Hammond was left in a coma after a serious crash during filming in September 2006.
The ex-Top Gear presenter crashed a jet-powered Vampire dragster vehicle while travelling at 288mph, and spent five weeks in hospital recovering from his injuries.
Top Gear crashes through the years
Richard Hammond crashes a Vampire Dragster – 2006
Richard was left fighting for his life after crashing the jet-powered car while going at 288 mph as he tested the vehicle at the former RAF Elvington airbase near York. Hammond was completing a seventh and final run in the car when the front-right tyre blew-out and the dragster veered off the runway, rolled over, and Hammond was left with a traumatic head injury and was in a coma for two weeks. In the year following the crash the TV presenter returned to the show and spoke about the crash on the Jonathan Ross Show, but couldn’t remember any of it because of his injuries.
Shocking: Richard was left fighting for his life after crashing the Vampire Dragster while going at 288 mph as he tested the vehicle at the former RAF Elvington airbase
Freddie Flintoff crashes a jet trike – 2019
In September, Freddie revealed he suffered a nasty escape after a high speed crash in a jet trike during filming. The cricket star, 41, insisted he was ‘absolutely fine’ after his jet trike careered off the road during a race at the Elvington Airfield near York. Freddie reportedly careered his high speed trike off the road as he filmed the high-speed race. Crew members rushed to Freddie – who was wearing a full motorcycling suit and helmet for the scenes – but he emerged with barely a scratch.
Close call: In September last year, Freddie revealed he suffered a nasty escape after a high speed crash in a jet trike during filming
Paddy McGuinness’ back axle comes off his Pontiac Firebird – 2020
In the latest series of Top Gear, Paddy embarked on the ‘original’ American Road Trip with Freddie and Chris Harris. He arrived in their start point of Peru with a Pontiac Firebird which didn’t have a roof amongst several other problems. When the trio decided to test out their cars on a straight 1/4 mile stretch of road Paddy’s car only got a few yards before the back end of the axle came apart entirely and he was forced to abandon the car.
In the latest series of Top Gear, Paddy was forced to abandon his Pontiac Firebird after the back end of the axle came apart entirely (pictured)
Jeremy Clarkson flips over his Reliant Robin – 2010
In a now famous segment from Top Gear, former presenter Jeremy flipped over a Reliant Robin multiple times. The motorcar journalist was flipping it over to prove that the three-wheeled car could easily tip over. In his Sunday Times driving column Jeremy revealed that he had actually asked crew to tinker with the car ‘so that the poor little thing rolled over every time I turned the steering wheel’.
Flipping heck: In a now famous segment from Top Gear, former presenter Jeremy Clarkson flipped over a Reliant Robin multiple times (pictured)
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