Andrew “Freddie” Flintoff gave an emotional response when asked whether he feels 'better' following his near-fatal car crash during filming for Top Gear in December 2022.
Flintoff, 47, was involved in a serious crash on the test track in Dunsfold Park Aerodrome, Surrey and suffered severe facial injuries as well as broken ribs.
The former England cricketer reportedly received a £9m settlement from the BBC to cover loss of earnings, but the financial damage is the least of his worries.
When speaking in a BBC documentary titled 'Freddie Flintoff’s Field of Dreams on Tour' back in 2024, the former Lancashire all-rounder was asked to assess how he felt.
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“Not really. I’m not sure I ever will again, to be honest," Flintoff said when asked if he is "better".
"I’m better than I was. I don’t know what completely better is. I am what I am now, I’m different to what I was, that’s something I’ll have to deal with for the rest of my life. Better, no. Different."
Flintoff, who was part of the 2005 and 2009 Ashes-winning sides, spoke about the incident on ITV’s ‘The Jonathan Ross Show’, which is set to be aired on Saturday night (April 19), and revealed he had been suffering with “crippling anxiety” after the crash.
"Afterwards, obviously, there's the physical scars that I've got. But then the mental side of it,” Flintoff told Jonathan Ross.
"I didn't leave the house for probably six or eight months. The only times I was leaving the house was for medical appointments and surgeries.”
Footage of the incident was released for the first time earlier this week in a preview trailer for the Disney+ documentary titled 'Flintoff'.
And he admitted that filming the doc was “quite strange”.’
"Since the accident, had the flashbacks, the nightmares and things… you're talking about it, you're talking about it quite a lot," he explained.
"I enjoy watching the cricket bits, wish there were more of them in it. The hardest part is seeing people talk about you."
The Preston-born 47-year-old is now coaching England Lions – the national set-up’s development squad - and admitted “that’s the one place I feel most comfortable”.
Topics: Cricket
Luke Davies