Reality Star Airlifted To Hospital After On-Set Accident
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Andrew “Freddie” Flintoff has been hospitalized following an accident on the set of Top Gear. The incident took place at the Dunsfold Aerodrome track in Surrey, England which is regularly featured on the BBC reality show. The former England cricket captain received medical attention at the scene. He was airlifted to a hospital for further treatment shortly after.
Fortunately, his injuries are not life-threatening. A few details surrounding the cause of the accident were released via the Top Gear website. “All health and safety precautions were in place and the accident didn’t happen at high speed,” the statement read. Freddie Flintoff joined Top Gear after Friends star Matt LeBlanc announced his exit in 2019.
He currently shares hosting duties with Paddy McGuinness and Chris Harris. According to Deadline, this isn’t the first accident Freddie Flintoff has been involved in while filming the show. The cricketer crashed into a market stall in Nottinghamshire shortly after joining the reality show in 2019. He also lost control of his vehicle during a Top Gear drag race at 124mph while filming in Yorkshire.
In both instances, he suffered no injuries. Unlike Freddie Flintoff, another Top Gear host wasn’t as lucky. In 2006, Richard Hammond was seriously harmed while shooting an episode in Elvington. He was in a coma for two weeks as a result but made a full recovery. Hammond later joined The Grand Tour motoring show where he was involved in another accident in 2017.
Meanwhile, updates on Freddie Flintoff’s condition will be provided in due course. The former cricketer announced his retirement from all forms of the sport in 2010 due to a long-standing knee injury. The highlight of his career came in 2005 when he inspired England to win back the Ashes from Australia. It was the first time the team had beaten their rivals in 18 years.
Since then, Freddie Flintoff has starred in A League of Their Own with James Corden. He also appeared on the Australian version of I’m a Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here and hosted the documentary Field of Dreams for BBC One. When he joined Top Gear, the cricket star said, “It’s not often you have the chance to do both of your dream jobs. But I’m now lucky enough to say I will have.”
Andrew “Freddie” Flintoff added that he’s always been passionate about cars and loved being part of the Top Gear team. The British reality motoring show is billed as a factual television program and a reboot of the original 1977 show of the same name. Each Top Gear episode sees the hosts examine and review various motor vehicles.
The concept was expanded to incorporate motoring-based challenges, special races, timed laps of notable cars, and celebrity timed laps on a specially designed course. The Freddie Flintoff-hosted series also drew acclaim for its visual and presentation style which focused on entertaining viewers. Top Gear aired on BBC Two and moved to BBC One for its 29th season in 2020. Fans also enjoy its occasionally-controversial humor and unofficial online automotive community.
