Freddie Flintoff said not being allowed to meet Justin Bieber was the 'weirdest thing'
Andrew ‘Freddie’ Flintoff was once turned away from a Justin Bieber meet and greet with his kids because of his height.
The former cricketer recently spoke publicly for the first time since he was involved in a horrific crash while filming Top Gear.
The 45-year-old gave a moving speech whilst presenting England cricket player Tom Hartley with his international cap.
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Speaking during the presentation, Flintoff said: “This enables you to walk tall and move faster. Play with passion, play with pride, play with belief. And also part of a family of people.
"They'll share the good times with you, share the successes. But as I found over the past few months, they'll be there for you in the hardest times of your life.
"They will stand next to you. So, like the lion on the cap Tom, be brave, be, fearless, be proud and enjoy every minute."
The family man shares four kids - Holly, Corey, Rocky and Preston - with his wife Rachael, and, as such, this means he’s been dragged along to his fair share of pop concerts over the years - including one that involved a meet and greet with Justin Bieber.
However, Flintoff was left baffled after while waiting in line they were given a briefing on how to behave when they met the singer.
Speaking to Sports Breakfast in 2020, the 6ft 4in TV personality said: “There’s no such thing as a guilty pleasure. I’ve been to see Bieber live, I’ve seen Little Mix live.
“We went to see Bieber a few years ago and we managed to get a meet and greet. So in this meet and greet, we were in a queue of people and then we got briefed!
“This American fella comes out and says, ‘Okay, when you see Justin, you don't go near him, you don't touch him, you don't look at him in the eye’.
“So I said, ‘hang on a minute mate, I’ve met The Queen, I’ve got an MBE - this is Justin Bieber!’”
Flintoff, who is dad to four kids: Holly, Corey, Rocky and Preston, eventually ended up at the front queue but as his kids walked up to Bieber to get their photos taken, he was stopped by a member of security staff.
“We got to the front of the queue, the kids got a photograph,” he revealed.
“I took one step forward and I got the arm holding me back. This fella turned around and said, ‘He don't like big guys!’
“I didn't meet him. I was there watching my kids have a photograph with him. It was the weirdest thing. He doesn't like big guys!”
Topics: Sport, Celebrity, Freddie Flintoff, Justin Bieber
Claire Reid