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Andrew “Freddie” Flintoff has revealed why he has hardly spoken to Top Gear co-host Paddy McGuinness since sustaining severe injuries in a car accident while filming for the BBC show.
Flintoff, 47, was involved in a near-fatal crash on the test track in Dunsfold Park Aerodrome, Surrey, in 2022 and sustained severe facial injuries and broken ribs.
Last week, footage of the incident was released for the first time in a preview of new Disney+ documentary simply titled 'Flintoff'.
"I remember everything about it… it’s so vivid,” Flintoff explained during the trailer.
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"I’ve lived under the radar for seven months, one of the real frustrations was the speculation, that’s why I’m doing this now, (about) what actually happened."
Last Saturday (April 19), Flintoff appeared on The Jonathan Ross Show and opened up about his struggles with “crippling anxiety” in the aftermath of the crash.
“I was struggling with crippling anxiety,” said Flintoff. “I had to have about five or six goes at leaving the room. Had to have a chat with myself in the mirror. I think because I'd not done anything for such a long time.
"I'd not shown myself without a face mask to anyone. It was like starting again."
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As reported by the Mail, Flintoff also explained the reasons why he has barely been in contact with McGuinness, 51, despite the pair working together as co-hosts on Top Gear.
"We’ve been in contact," Flintoff said. "When I saw Chris [Harris] we hugged each other, he got upset and I got a little bit upset.
“I feel bad I haven’t been more in contact with him [and Paddy].
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“I think there were some comments that I've not spoken with Paddy for a while, and part of it is for myself, a little bit.
“I hate the word triggering... but I’m worried about that. It's also something that has stopped because of what's happened to me. Their careers have been halted as well.
“So I feel bad for them, and also it’s like what happened gets dragged up enough in my own head without adding to that (by seeing them).”
“It’s hard,” he added. “After the accident, I didn’t think I had it in me to get through. This sounds awful, but part of me wishes I had been killed and wishes I had died.
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“I didn’t want to kill myself, but I was just not wishing, but I was thinking this would've been so much easier.”
Topics: Cricket
Luke Davies