BBC reaches '£9m' settlement with Andrew Flintoff over Top Gear crash

By Charlotte McLaughlin, PA Senior Entertainment Reporter

The BBC has reached a reported £9 million financial settlement with Andrew “Freddie” Flintoff after he was hurt in a crash while filming Top Gear.

The former England cricket captain, 45, appeared with facial injuries in public for the first time in September, nine months after he was taken to hospital after he was hurt while filming the BBC motoring show at its test track at Dunsfold Aerodrome last December.

Both Flintoff and the BBC are “satisfied” with the agreement, according to the Sun’s Saturday front page, which claimed the settlement is worth £9 million.

A BBC Studios spokesperson said: “BBC Studios has reached an agreement with Freddie that we believe supports his continued rehabilitation, return to work and future plans.

“We have sincerely apologised to Freddie and will continue to support him with his recovery.”

BBC Studios is a commercial company which does not use BBC Licence Fee income.

The BBC said in March that it would be inappropriate to resume making the series at that time following an internal investigation into what happened.

It is understood that the decisions on future episodes of Top Gear will be made “in due course in conjunction with BBC Content”.

Series 34 was halted following the crash.

Flintoff began presenting Top Gear in 2019, and also appeared on Sky’s A League Of Their Own and won the first series of the Australian version of I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here!

His other shows with the BBC include Andrew Flintoff’s Field Of Dreams, where he embarked on a mission to find cricketing talent in his home town of Preston.

In September, Flintoff joined the coaching staff of England’s cricket team in a temporary, unofficial and unpaid capacity.

Representatives for Mr Flintoff have been asked for comment.