Former England international cricketer and Top Gear host Andrew Flintoff has spoken about his high-speed car accident in 2022, saying "I'm different to what I was".
Flintoff suffered serious facial injuries after the crash, which occurred while he was filming for Top Gear in December 2022.
Now, in a recent TV documentary called Freddie Flintoff’s Field of Dreams on Tour, being aired on BBC, the cricketer has spoken publicly about the crash.
"I don't know what completely better is," Flintoff said.
"I am what I am now. I'm different to what I was. It's something I will have to deal with for the rest of my life. Better? No, different."
It is a sequel to Freddie Flintoff’s Field of Dreams, a 2022 docuseries that saw the 46-year-old assemble a group of young people from his hometown with no cricket experience and attempt to coach them. The sequel follows the team on tour in India.
The crash took place 12 weeks before the tour, and the documentary shows cell phone footage Flintoff took of himself a week and a half after the crash.
"I genuinely should not be here with what happened," he said in that footage.
"It's going to be a long road back, and I've only just started. I'm going to need help. I really am. I'm not the best at asking for it.
"I'm looking forward to seeing the lads. I really am. This India trip is going to be for me as much as it is for them now. I'm determined. I really want to go."
Ultimately, the tour had to be postponed until this year.
An exchange between Flintoff and his close friend and fellow coach Kyle Hogg seven months after the accident revealed the impact the crash had on him.
“I thought I could just shake it off," Flintoff said. "I wanted to shake it off and say 'everything's all right', but it's not been the case.
"I struggle with anxiety. I have nightmares, I have flashbacks. It's been so hard to cope with."
Filming of Top Gear was stopped after Flintoff’s crash, with the network saying they had “rested” the series. In March last year, the BBC apologised to him. In October, according to The Sun, he was awarded £9 million (NZ$19.3 million) in compensation.
In 2023, he returned to cricket as a member of the coaching staff for the England white-ball team, remaining as part of the setup for this year’s T20 World Cup.
He is currently the head coach of Northern Superchargers in The Hundred.
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