Freddie Flintoff reveals details of aftermath of near-fatal crash on Top Gear

Freddie Flintoff has revealed the physical and emotional turmoil he suffered following his near-fatal accident. Top equipment crash and admitted that he “shouldn’t really be here.”

The former cricketer was involved in a horrific accident while filming the car show in December 2022, which led to the BBC halting production for the “foreseeable future” on the grounds that a sequel would be inappropriate.

In a new BBC series, Flintoff talks about the accident, in which he suffered facial injuries that required surgery, and reveals for the first time that he still suffers from nightmares, flashbacks and anxiety.

“After what happened, I really shouldn't be here,” he said, admitting he couldn't “just shake it off” after the accident.

In scenes that are to be shown on Freddie Flintoff's “Field of Dreams” on tourwhich begins on BBC1 on Tuesday, Flintoff said shortly after the accident: “I don't want to sit there and feel sorry for myself. I don't want pity. I struggle with anxiety, I have nightmares, I have flashbacks – it's so hard to cope with it.”

“But I think if I don't do anything, I'll never leave. I have to keep doing this.”

Field of Dreams – Freddie Flintoff In “On Tour,” the retired cricketer travels to India with Preston’s unusual youth cricket team, which he coached in the original 2022 series.

In the new series, he describes his recovery as a “long road back.”

The documentary shows the former all-rounder from Lancashire in hospital shortly after the accident. There he says: “I need help and I realise that I'm not the best at asking for it. I need to stop crying every two minutes.”

“I have to look on the positive side, right? I'm still here, I still have a chance, I have to try. I see this for what it is, a second try.

“I'm really looking forward to seeing the guys again and being with them, honestly.”

Speaking about coming to terms with the accident, Flintoff added: “As much as I want to go out and do things… I just haven't been able to.”

The star goes on to say that he believes the accident has changed him forever. When asked if he is better, he replies: “Not really. To be honest, I'm not sure I'll ever be better. I'm better than I was before.”

“I don't know what is completely better. I am what I am now, I am different from what I was, and I will have to deal with that for the rest of my life. Better, no, different.”

In the episode, Flintoff's former Lancashire teammate Kyle Hogg, who is the team's coach, is seen telling the players about his accident and informing them that their trip to India will be postponed.

Hogg says: “He just needs a bit of space at the moment. When they first started, Fred was there for everyone in the room, now is really the time for you guys to be there for him.”

In an on-camera post, he added: “Fred's accident is really bad, he will need a lot of time to recover, he is lucky to have come out alive.”

Since the crash, Flintoff has agreed to a financial settlement of £9 million with the corporation's commercial arm, BBC Studios.