Freddie Flintoff named as new Bullseye host, two years after Top Gear crash

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The popular British darts quiz show Bullseye is making a comeback on ITV, now hosted by ex-England cricketer and Top Gear presenter Freddie Flintoff.

The 46-year-old, who suffered significant injuries in an accident during the filming of Top Gear in 2022, is set to host a Christmas special of the beloved game show. This show originally aired from 1981 to 1995 and was previously presented by the late comedian Jim Bowen.

Discussing his new position and comeback to TV, Flintoff expressed, "I have a great passion for darts, and Bullseye was one of my favorite programs when I was younger. It’s hard to believe I'm going to be the host for this Christmas special."

"You can't go wrong with a little bit of Bully!" said Flintoff, repeating the popular phrase that Bowen is known for.

Bullseye challenges participants on both their dart-throwing abilities and their general knowledge while they vie for cash and prizes. The program became well-known for its tendency to award extravagant and sometimes unrealistic prizes, including items like speedboats, to its winners.

The game show made a comeback on Challenge TV in 2006, running for two seasons and was hosted by comedian Dave Spikey.

Katie Rawcliffe, the director of entertainment and daytime programming at ITV, expressed her excitement about the return of Bullseye, stating, "We're thrilled to have Freddie Flintoff returning to ITV with this show."

"We're thrilled to feature both of them as important highlights of our Christmas lineup on ITV1 and ITVX this year."

Flintoff was recently featured in the four-episode BBC series Freddie Flintoff’s Field Of Dreams On Tour, where he openly discussed his accident for the first time.

The event, which resulted in him sustaining injuries to his face and ribs, took place at the Top Gear test track located at Dunsfold Aerodrome in Surrey.

The BBC later revealed that it had put the car show on hold indefinitely.

In the documentary, Flintoff revealed that overcoming the crash had been “much more challenging than I expected.” He also shared that he had faced difficulties with anxiety, recurring nightmares, and vivid memories of the incident.

Since then, Flintoff has gradually come back into the public spotlight. He has rejoined the England coaching team for their T20 series with the West Indies earlier this year and is also serving as the head coach for the Northern Superchargers in The Hundred tournament.

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This follows comments from Top Gear star Chris Harris, who stated that he alerted BBC executives about safety issues with the show prior to Flintoff's serious accident.

Harris, who became part of the team with cricketer Flintoff and comedian Paddy McGuinness in 2016, reflected on the terrible accident and criticized the BBC for supposedly not ensuring adequate safety measures.

Further contributions by PA.