'I thought he was dead' The Stig on Top Gear crash with Andrew 'Freddie' Flintoff
“I pulled him next to me, took one look at him, and I thought he was dead.”
The Stig has spoken out for the first time after the horrific Top Gear crash which left Fylde coast local Freddie Flintoff with life-changing facial injuries four years ago.
The crash, which took place on 13 December 2022 at Dunsfold Park Aerodrome in Surrey, involved Flintoff, the Stig and their open-topped Morgan Super 3. Speaking to the Sun in an interview about the crash, the Stig - unmasked as racing car driver Paul Rees - said: “My vision literally went red, and I now know that was blood from Fred spraying me in the face.
“I pulled him next to me, took one look at him, and I thought he was dead. A million thoughts went through my head, but we just had to save Fred.”
The former England and Lancashire cricketer was left with life-changing face injuries which required multiple operations and plastic surgery. Speaking on the third series of his Freddie Flintoff's Field Of Dreams series, Flintoff was asked about the crash by a teenager in Blackpool, who said: "How hard was it to leave your house again?"
"I didn't know if I had it in me to carry on, not that I wanted to die or anything like that, I just didn't know if I had it in me, and that took a while,” Flintoff responded. “The one thing, I think, getting quite deep here, but the one thing you just want to be is happy in yourself, and try and be accepting of yourself of what you are.”
Flintoff, who was born and raised in nearby Preston, reportedly agreed a £9 million settlement with the BBC after the incident.
Flintoff is no stranger to the Fylde coast, having started his cricketing career at St Annes Cricket Club as a child. He also returned to the area whilst filming his hit-BBC TV show Flintoff’s Field of Dreams.
In the 2021/22 season, Flintoff was registered as a player with St Annes, making his first cricketing appearance in seven years in their season-opener at Morecambe alongside his son Corey, then 15, who made his Northern League debut in the same game.
St Annes stalwart Harry Hargreaves, Flintoff’s grandfather, served as president of the Vernon Road club for five years until his death aged 93 in 2021.
Since the crash Flintoff has made a miraculous return to public life, coaching the England Lions cricket team and appearing as the host of Bullseye, the darts themed Game Show.