Freddie Flintoff's friends say he's considering quitting Top Gear following horror crash
Friends of Top Gear’s Freddie Flintoff have said the star is unsure if he’ll return to the show following his crash last month.
The 45-year-old former cricketer was airlifted to hospital following the smash on a test track at the Dunsfold Aerodrome in Surrey.
Flintoff, who joined the popular BBC show in 2019, is understood to have avoided serious injury in the crash, but friends told The Times he is ‘psychologically traumatised’ and considering his future on the show.
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Flintoff’s 16-year-old son Corey told the MailOnline his dad had sustained a broken rib in the crash and was ‘lucky to be alive’.
Corey told the publication: “He's OK. I'm not too sure what happened but he is lucky to be alive.
“It was a pretty nasty crash. It is shocking. We are all shocked but just hope he's going to be OK.”
A source with knowledge of the incident told The Sun at the time: "He was driving on the track as normal. He wasn't going at high speeds - it was just an accident that could happen to anyone.
"All the usual health and safety measures were in place for filming too. Freddie was taken to hospital by air ambulance shortly afterwards.
"His injuries are not life-threatening and he is receiving treatment.
"Filming has been postponed for now and all anyone cares about is Freddie recovering."
A few days after the crash, Flintoff’s Top Gear co-host Paddy McGuinness gave an update on his condition on Instagram.
Sharing several snaps of them together, he wrote: “Had so many well wishes and positivity for the big lad this last few days.
“@aflintoff11 is loved and will be up and at um before you know it! The three of us are back this Sunday with more new @topgear including a trip to Italy, best family cars and our very own postal service!”
He added of the photos: “Obviously we filmed this ep earlier in the year. #topgear.”
The crash prompted a review from the Health and Safety Executive, which found no evidence of any serious failings that would require a formal investigation.
Speaking yesterday (Friday 20 January), a spokesperson said: “We've completed our initial inquiries into this incident and will not be investigating further.”
The BBC also launched its own investigation into the incident, which is set to be completed within the next two weeks. The broadcaster has said ‘all health and safety procedures’ were correctly followed.
Topics: Top Gear, TV and Film
Claire Reid