Andrew “Freddie” Flintoff has spoken candidly about the lasting impact of his near-fatal crash while filming BBC’s Top Gear, revealing he didn’t leave his house for up to six months due to crippling anxiety and trauma.
The former England cricket star turned television presenter appeared on ITV’s The Jonathan Ross Show in an emotional interview, ahead of a new Disney+ documentary chronicling his career, recovery, and re-emergence into public life.
The 90-minute special, which streams from April 25, promises an “intimate and unprecedented look” at Flintoff’s life following the 2022 accident at Dunsfold Park Aerodrome in Surrey.
Flintoff, 47, sustained serious facial injuries and broken ribs when a vehicle he was driving flipped at high speed during filming. The incident left not only physical scars but also deep psychological wounds.
“Afterwards, obviously there’s the physical scars that I’ve got,” he told Ross. “But then the mental side of it. 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.”
The cricket legend admitted he endured flashbacks and nightmares and struggled with extreme anxiety. Even simple tasks like leaving a room required significant mental preparation. “I had to have about five or six goes at leaving the room,” he said. “I’d have a chat with myself in the mirror.”
Flintoff added that he had not shown his face without a mask to anyone for months after the crash. “It was like starting again,” he said.
In the documentary’s trailer released Thursday, a still image shows the aftermath of the crash, with crew members rushing to assist at the scene. Flintoff says he remembers “everything about it,” describing the memories as “vivid.”
Reflecting on the process of filming the documentary, Flintoff said it was “quite strange at first” revisiting the traumatic event so extensively. “Since the accident, I’ve had the flashbacks, the nightmares… and you’re talking about it, you’re talking about it quite a lot,” he said.
He admitted he found it difficult to watch others discuss the crash. “The hardest part is seeing people talk about you,” he said. “I enjoy watching the cricket bits, wish there was more of them in it.”
Flintoff’s family, comedian Jack Whitehall, and Gavin & Stacey creator James Corden also appear in the documentary, offering insights into his personal and professional journey.
Despite the turmoil, Flintoff said he has found solace and purpose in his return to cricket, working with England Lions—the national team’s development squad. “That’s the one place I feel most comfortable,” he said. “That time when I probably needed it most, cricket embraced me again.”
Flintoff’s popular BBC series Freddie Flintoff’s Field of Dreams returned for a second season last year, documenting a cricket tour in India with youth from his hometown of Preston. The programme is nominated for a Bafta Television Award in the factual series category.
The BBC has since “rested” Top Gear indefinitely and reached a financial settlement with Flintoff in 2023.
