Freddie Flintoff filmed speaking for first time as he opens up on 'hardest time' after Top Gear crash

Freddie Flintoff praised England cricket team for their support as he opened up about the terrifying car crash that left him with broken bones during the filming of BBC show Top Gear.

The former England cricket captain, who had presented the popular motoring show since 2019 alongside Paddy McGuiness and Rory Reid, was driving at 130mph in an open-topped three-wheeled Morgan Super 3 when it flipped over at the Dunsfold Park Aerodrome in Surrey. The 45-year-old has been rarely seen since the horrific accident which, last year, left him with facial injuries and broken ribs, reports the Mirror.

Freddie, a dad of four, was not wearing a helmet at the time of the crash. This meant that his face was in direct contact with the ground causing it to scrape across the coarse area. While Freddie, who is married to model and entrepreneur Rachael Wools, has been keeping out of the spotlight since the crash, he made a special effort to join the England Cricket team to help mentor them.

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In a touching video, posted to Twitter, now called X, on Wednesday (September 4), he presented cricketer Tom Hartley with his cap for the England Cricket team. In the heart-warming video, Freddie commended the team that he considers to be family, by saying they will "be there for you in the hardest times of your life".

He added: "It gives me so much pleasure to share what's going to be a day Tom that you're going to remember for the rest of your life. When you get this cap, this changes your life. It's one of those things, it's before and after it. This enables you to walk tall and move faster. Play with passion, play with pride, play with belief."

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