Andrew ‘Freddie’ Flintoff has been spotted for first time since his horrific crash nine months ago.
This is the first time the England cricket legend has made a public appearance since his Top Gear crash.
Flintoff is one of the presenters of the BBC series but was involved in an accident at the Dunsfold Aerodrome in Surrey last December.
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Somewhat unsurprisingly, the 45-year-old has since quit Top Gear and has been keeping himself low-key.
But now he’s made a return to the world of cricket.
Spotted yesterday (8 September), Flintoff was wearing an England coaching kit as he watched the men’s team’s opening one-day international against New Zealand at Cardiff’s Sophia Gardens.
More commonly known as Freddie, he is close mates with the England managing director, Rob Key, and is now set to be with the squad for the remainder of the series, The Independent reports.
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It’s understood that he is working as an unpaid consultant with England and isn’t expected to travel with them for the upcoming World Cup in India.
Flintoff has visible scars on his face, which are quite clear around his mouth and nose where he also seems to be wearing tape.
On the outfield, he wore a bucket hat and dark glasses, covering part of his face.
After his crash, the BBC halted filming on Top Gear and released a statement: “Under the circumstances, we feel it would be inappropriate to resume making series 34 of Top Gear at this time.
“We understand this will be disappointing for fans, but it is the right thing to do, and we’ll make a judgment about how best to continue later this year.
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“This has also impacted the production team, who we continue to support. Finally, there will be a health and safety review of the show, in line with our procedures.”
During the crash, Flintoff sustained facial injuries and broken ribs while he had been driving an open-topped three-wheel Morgan Super 3 at a whopping 130mph.
Flintoff joined Top Gear in 2019, working alongside Paddy McGuinness and Chris Harris.
He’d been involved in other accidents during the BBC show, like falling off a bizarre head-first three-wheel motorcycle at 124mph.
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Now working alongside the team, England’s captain, Jos Butler, told The Mirror: “So he’s [Flintoff] been starting to do some stuff in cricket. It’s just great for him to be around, he’s obviously an England legend and it’s just nice to have him around the group.
"He’s not been brought in with any specific role, just to be around and observe. A few of the lads can pick his brains a little bit and he’s settled in really well. It’s great to have him with us. Just for this series.”
Featured Image Credit: Clive Rose/Getty ImagesTopics: Celebrity, Sport, TV and Film, Top Gear, UK News, Freddie Flintoff