Fans of cricketer Freddie Flintoff are buzzing to see him back on their TV screens following his lengthy hiatus from the spotlight after his near-fatal crash.
But it's something of a double-edged sword, as although his admirers are glad to see him finally make his long-awaited comeback, it's also the first time he is discussing the life-changing Top Gear accident in detail.
And you'd better have the Kleenex on standby if you're tuning into his BBC series Freddie Flintoff’s Field of Dreams On Tour, as it's an emotional rollercoaster to say the least.
The show was delayed by over a year due to the extensive injuries - including broken ribs and facial injuries - the 46-year-old former fast bowler suffered as a result of the horrific crash in December 2022.
Flintoff was left seriously injured after the Morgan Super 3 he was driving flipped on the test track's first corner while he was filming a stunt for Top Gear at the Dunsfold Aerodrome in Surrey.
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His wife, former model Rachael Flintoff, was reportedly told to 'expect the worst' when she saw the star for the first time.
The fate of Top Gear was left hanging in the balance and production was halted after the former England cricket captain was rushed to hospital by air ambulance, with the BBC saying it would be 'inappropriate' to continue production.
The Beeb then revealed that these 'exceptional circumstances' had forced them to take their foot off the gas and call time on filming Top Gear, which had been presented by Chris Harris, Paddy McGuinness and Flintoff since 2019.
In Freddie Flintoff’s Field of Dreams On Tour - which follows the TV star as he mentors young cricket players from his hometown of Preston - he discussed suffering from 'anxiety, nightmares and flashbacks' as a result of the incident.
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And while opening up about his struggles with the young cricketers, he made another heartbreaking admission about how his recovery is going.
Flintoff told the lads he was determined to get better so he could fulfil his promise of joining them in India, for what the BBC described as 'the most unlikely cricket tour that almost didn’t happen'.
He said: "One of the reasons I came here is, I'm aware the last time I saw you I promised you a trip to India. One thing this last year I've been aware of is, I'm desperate to take you."
One of the sporting hopefuls then asked Flintoff whether he was now 'feeling one hundred percent'.
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Poignantly, Flintoff responded: "Not really...I don't know if I ever will again, to be honest.
"I don't know what 'completely better' is. I am what I am now.
"It's something I'll have to deal with for the rest of my life. So better? No. Different."
Flintoff has undergone multiple surgeries in wake of the crash, as well as trying to recover from the emotional trauma it has left him with, as he admitted there was a seven-month period where he could barely leave the house.
Former Top Gear star James May previously told LADbible that he reckons the cricket ace was just 'extremely unlucky' with the crash.
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The 61-year-old said: "We’re pretty careful. I think he [Freddie] was just extremely unlucky, but nothing can ever be 100 percent safe. Even going to the shops can’t be and playing football can’t be.
"It’s a shame, I hope he gets over it. He seems to be doing okay but yeah - it’s serious. Good luck to him, it’s obviously a worse accident than anyone realised at first."
Topics: Top Gear, Freddie Flintoff, Health, Cricket, Mental Health, TV
Olivia Burke