Filming on the latest series of Top Gear will not resume amid reports that "daredevil" presenter Andrew "Freddie" Flintoff is "quitting the show" after being involved in an accident at the end of last year.
BBC studios said on Thursday night that "under the circumstances" they feel "it would be inappropriate to resume making series 34 of Top Gear at this time".
Former professional cricketer Flintoff, 45, was taken to hospital after being involved in the accident while shooting for the hit motoring show at the Top Gear test track at Dunsfold Aerodrome in Surrey on December 13.
The former England captain has been "seriously emotionally and physically affected by the crash", a source told The Times, which first reported the story, adding that: "He is a daredevil, that's what he does, and he doesn't feel like he is able to continue to play that role on the show."
Flintoff, who began presenting Top Gear in 2019, has also appeared on A League Of Their Own and won the first series of the Australian version of I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here! He is fondly remembered for his time as an England all-rounder, most notably during the Ashes victory in 2005.
His other shows with the BBC include Andrew Flintoff's Field Of Dreams, where he embarked on a mission to find cricketing talent in his home town of Preston. In 2022 the BBC announced it was returning for a four-part follow-up series.
A statement from BBC Studios said it had "concluded its investigation into the accident at the Top Gear Test Track in Surrey last December, which regrettably injured presenter Freddie Flintoff."
It continued: "We have sincerely apologised to Freddie and will continue to support him with his recovery. Under the circumstances, we feel it would be inappropriate to resume making series 34 of Top Gear at this time. We understand this will be disappointing for fans, but it is the right thing to do, and we'll make a judgment about how best to continue later this year. This has also impacted the production team, who we continue to support."
The statement added that there will be a health and safety review of the show, "in line with our procedures". The PA news agency reports that a decision about resuming filming will be made later in the year. BBC Studios declined to comment on Flintoff's return to the show and directed enquiries to the presenter's representatives, who have also been contacted for comment by PA.
What are Freddie Flintoff's crash injuries?
Former cricketer Flintoff and a crew member were injured in the crash after the vehicle reportedly flipped at the Top Gear test track three months ago. Flintoff is reported to have been driving an open-topped three-wheel sports car when it flipped over and slid along the track.
Flintoff and his passenger were wearing helmets, according to media summaries of the incident. Flintoff was airlifted to hospital with facial injuries and broken ribs.
The Daily Mail reports that a review of the accident by the Health and Safety Executive, the UK Government agency, has found no evidence of any serious failings requiring a formal investigation.
Has Flintoff been hurt on Top Gear previously?
Flintoff was previously involved in a minor incident when he crashed into a market stall in Mansfield, Nottinghamshire, in February 2019. In September of the same year he crashed again while driving a three-wheel vehicle at a reported speed of 124mph during filming for Top Gear at Elvington Airfield in Yorkshire, but walked away from the incident unharmed.
Former Top Gear presenter Richard Hammond was involved in a serious crash at the same airfield in 2006, leaving him in a coma for two weeks and with brain injuries.
Top Gear is also presented by Take Me Out host Paddy McGuinness and automotive journalist Chris Harris.
Why is Andrew Flintoff called Freddie?
While his first name is Andrew, he is often referred to as Freddie, a nickname coined by a former cricket coach who started calling him Fred as his surname resembled that of Fred Flinstone from the iconic American TV series The Flinstones. 'Fred' later morphed into 'Freddie'.
Ex-model wife and four kids
Flintoff married former model Rachael Wools in March 2005 in Knightsbridge, London. The pair met at the Edgbaston cricket ground in Birmingham in 2002 while at an event to promote Rachel's events company, Strawberry Promotions.
They have four children together: Holly, Corey, Rocky and Preston. Flintoff has the names of his wife and children tattooed on his left shoulder.
Early years in cricket, upbringing and working at Woolworths
Flintoff grew up in Preston in the middle of five council estates. His dad Colin was a plumber and factory maintenance worker by profession, who worked for British Aerospace for 30 years making parts on the machines.
According to Cricket Country, Flintoff junior performed well at school but dropped out at 16 as he didn't want to study further, then working behind the record counter at Woolworths as a teen. He has previously admitted to giving away PlayStations to those who couldn't afford it, with "no beepers" behind the record counter.
"I might have given a few things away. I was behind the record counter and there was no beepers, there was store detectors. One day someone came in and I knew them and they might have got a PlayStation," he has said.
As a child, he played cricket for the Lancashire Schools under-11s and under-15s teams. He then played for more than two years for the England under-19 team.
'Not bad for a fat lad'
Having faced criticism for his weight during a lean patch, Flintoff went on to hit a match-winning 42 not out against Zimbabwe in a low-scoring ODI at Old Trafford in 2000, earning him the man-of-the-match award. While receiving the gong, he famously said: "Not bad for a fat lad."
Ashes 2005
Flintoff made his biggest impact for England in the summer of 2005, acting as a major influence in regaining the Ashes from Australia after 18 years. The closely-fought series went England's way by a 2-1 margin. Flintoff was named man of the series for his 402 runs and 24 wickets.
The pedalo incident
During the 2007 World Cup, following England's defeat against New Zealand in St Lucia, Flintoff got drunk with some of his teammates and nearly drowned when the boat carrying them capsized. He has since claimed that he was attempting to sail home in a pedalo, thus giving the incident a name Fredalo.
In a 2014 episode of 8 Out Of 10 cats, he said he awoke on a beach.
The aftermath of that incident saw Flintoff lose his position as vice-captain and he was fined, but remained part of the team. He later publicly apologised, saying, "As you can imagine, I am ashamed. I've let people down. The team's been weakened because I was not available for selection, and I've let down my family, friends and the public back home. So it's been a horrible few days. I'm so sorry for what I've done. It's affected a lot of people."
Cricket injuries
Persistent ankle and knee problems led to Flintoff retiring from Test cricket at the end of Ashes 2009. Another knee operation not long after the final Test of the same series sidelined him for a year and in 2010, Flintoff retired from all forms of professional cricket.
