‘I’m different to what I was’: Freddie Flintoff tells of life after horrific accident

Over a year and a half after a terrible accident occurred during the making of Top Gear, Andrew “Freddie” Flintoff has shared his difficulties with anxiety, troubling dreams and memories that come back suddenly after sustaining serious injuries that have altered his life.

Flintoff was behind the wheel of a three-wheel car with no roof when it overturned and skidded on the race track at Surrey's Dunsfold aerodrome in December 2022. He had to be taken to the hospital by helicopter after sustaining injuries to his face and ribs.

In a recently aired BBC series called Freddie Flintoff’s Field of Dreams on Tour, the 46-year-old opened up about his struggles following a crash in a Morgan Super 3. He shared that he was constantly in tears and only left his house for medical appointments for a period of seven months.

In the documentary series following up on Freddie Flintoff's Field of Dreams from 2022, Flintoff leads a team of youths from his hometown of Preston on a cricketing adventure in India. This journey was delayed due to the athlete's accident.

In the initial episode, Flintoff is seen laying in a hospital bed discussing the accident. He expresses disbelief at his survival, acknowledging the challenging journey ahead. Feeling overwhelmed, he admits his struggle to ask for assistance and acknowledges his need to control his emotions.

He continues: "I have to focus on the good things, don't I? I'm grateful to still be alive and have the opportunity to try again. I see it as a fresh start, a chance to do better. I'm excited to reunite with my teammates and be part of the team again, I truly am."

After undergoing several surgeries for facial damage, seven months later the movie captures Flintoff contemplating more on the emotional and physical effects of the accident.

I initially believed I could easily overcome the feeling, but it has proven to be more challenging than expected. Despite my desire to be active, I have found myself unable to do so.

I felt very anxious and overwhelmed. I experienced nightmares and flashbacks, which made it difficult to deal with. Some of the people around me have had difficult experiences in their lives. It's important to try to understand and empathize with them, but I struggle with feeling guilty that I can't always do that. I don't want to dwell on my own difficulties and seek pity from others.

The BBC, stated that it had put a hold on the show Top Gear, which had been on air since 2002, indefinitely after Flintoff’s accident and also gave him £9m as compensation.

The ex-Lancashire cricket player has been gradually getting more attention lately, working with England's support team for their T20 matches against the West Indies and leading the Northern Superchargers in the Hundred tournament.

In the show, Kyle Hogg, a former teammate from Lancashire who assists with coaching, informs the players about Flintoff's accident and informs them that their planned trip to India will be delayed.

However, during his time away, Flintoff isolated himself in order to heal. It was ultimately his strong sense of commitment to the team that pushed him to return to the field. Eventually, he reunited with his teammates and inquired about their desire to continue the journey to India.

It was a heartfelt meeting again. One of the boys said, "I really missed you," while another wanted to know if he was "feeling completely well".

"No, not really," answered Flintoff. "I'm not sure if I'll ever fully recover, to be honest. I've improved from before, but I'm not sure if I'll ever be completely healed. I have to accept that I am different now, and that's something I'll have to live with for the rest of my life. I wouldn't say I'm better, just different."

After arriving in India, Flintoff describes his role with the team as being similar to that of a father figure. He credits cricket for aiding in his recovery from the accident, stating that when he is immersed in the game, all other thoughts seem to fade away. "Cricket helps me escape and lose myself in the moment," he reflects.

"I feel like I've been sharing my true feelings more than ever before in the last year, so I'm turning to cricket once again for support."

Freddie Flintoff's Field of Dreams on Tour will be shown on BBC One at 9pm on 13 August and can also be watched on BBC iPlayer.