Freddie Flintoff will not be returning to Top Gear this year, as he continues to recover from his horrific accident.
Production was paused on the BBC show after the sport star's crash last year and it's now been reported TV bosses want to give Freddie time to recover before filming resumes.
The retired cricketer, 45, is said to be planning to take a step back from all his work commitments while he recovers from facial injuries sustained during a terrifying crash that occured in December.
Freddie - who was pictured earlier this week for the first time since the crash - was hospitalised and left suffering with broken bones thanks to the accident that occurred on the Top Gear test track.
Concerned bosses immediately suspended production on the series following the crash and have no plans to get things started again without Freddie.
Top Gear usually launches on BBC One in the Autumn, between October and November, but will be slightly later this year thanks to the horrific crash.
"Cast and crew are still reeling from the shock accident and there is concern about the future of the show," an insider has told The Sun.
"Because Top Gear is such a risky production and there are lots of logistics involved with filming, it’s far more complicated than other TV series."
They went on to explain how the crew wouldn't "feel comfortable" filming without Freddie anyway, as he is such "an integral part" of the BBC show.
"The incident was a shock for everyone involved and very serious," the source added.
Freddie, who has hosted Top Gear since 2019 and covered four seasons so far, was airlifted to hospital with facial injuries and broken ribs and has only been seen in public in the passenger seat of his wife's car.
Piers Morgan previously revealed that Freddie had been left shaken by the accident, when a stunt went wrong at the Dunsfold Aerodrome, Surrey, in sub-zero temperatures on December 13.
He told TalkSport in December: "I'm told it was a pretty serious crash and that Freddie's going to be OK, but it might be a little bit more serious than first appreciated.
"I'm told he's going to be OK which is great news, but I'm also told it was a pretty nasty bang and that he's had surgery and is recovering now and we'll have to wait and see.
"I've been in contact with them privately, but I just want to wish him and his family, Rachel his wife, all the very best and I think we're all just keeping our fingers crossed that the big man comes through alright."
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