Andrew Flintoff may “never return” to Top Gear after being hospitalised following an accident during filming, reports suggest.
Sources close to the former Lancashire and England cricketer, turned popular TV personality and presenter – who is more commonly known as ‘Freddie’ – have suggested that he may quit the BBC series “for good” after a horror crash at the end of last year has apparently left him “psychologically traumatised”.
His friends revealed to The Times that the 42-year-old was making a good recovery physically following the crash, but that the psychological impact was less clear at this time.
Flintoff was filming at Top Gear’s test track at Dunsfold Park Aerodrome in Surrey back in mid December 2022 when he was involved in an accident and sustained injuries that required him to be airlifted to hospital for treatment.
His injuries were not said to be life-threatening, and a BBC spokesperson said at the time that further details would be confirmed “in due course”.
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It was confirmed that the accident did not happen at high speed.
Andrew Flintoff was taken to hospital after being involved in accident while filming Top Gear / Credit: BBC
The BBC explained in a statement at the time of the accident: “Freddie was injured in an accident at the Top Gear test track this morning, with crew medics attending the scene immediately [and] he has been taken to hospital for further treatment.
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“We will confirm more details in due course.”
This is not the first time Flintoff has been involved in an accident since he began presenting the long-running BBC factual entertainment programme back in 2019 alongside co-hosts Paddy McGuinness and Chris Harris.
He also crashed into a market stall in Mansfield in Nottinghamshire in February 2019, and then, in September of the same year, he crashed yet again during a drag race while he was filming at Elvington Airfield in Yorkshire – but he walked away from the latter unharmed.
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He began presenting the long-running BBC factual entertainment programme back in 2019 / Credit: BBC
Top Gear fans will probably also remember that former host Richard Hammond was notably involved in a serious crash at the same airfield in 2006, which left him in a coma.
Since retiring from international cricket back in 2010, Flintoff had one professional bout as a boxer, before venturing into TV where he became a team captain on Sky’s A League of Their Own, and was also a contestant on the Australian version of I’m a Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here!, going on to be he crowned king of the jungle.
He has also taken to acting – appearing in BBC drama Love, Lies and Records in 2017 – and singing in Fat Friends The Musical too.
Featured Image – BBC
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Three tiny ‘chaos potatoes’ have been born at Chester Zoo and they’re so cute
Emily Sergeant
Three tiny ‘chaos potatoes’ have been born at Chester Zoo… and they’re really flipping cute.
Born to parents Maris and Albert in late summer, the three rock hyrax pups – only affectionately known as ‘chaos potatoes’ – have just passed their first vet check with a clean bill of health, and now weigh roughly 350g.
Hyraxes are found across sub-Saharan Africa and the Middle East, where they live among rocky landscapes and are most active in daylight.
The litter includes two boys and one girl, and keepers at Chester Zoo have decided to give them potato-themed names – Russ, Spud, and Jackie.
Three tiny ‘chaos potatoes’ have been born at Chester Zoo / Credit: Chester Zoo
Currently, the three pups are a fraction of the size of the adults, which can weigh up to 4kg, but despite their small stature, they have an unlikely relative.
Believe it or not, rock hyraxes are actually a part of the same evolutionary group as elephants, as well as sirenians, which are the family of aquatic mammals that includes dugongs and manatees.
“Hyraxes are one of those species that you have to look for, but once you’ve seen them, they are fascinating to watch,” explained Megan Carpenter, who is a Keeper at Chester Zoo.
“The pups are little chaos potatoes. They are much more energetic than their parents and sometimes get the zoomies, darting about and testing their climbing and parkour skills.
“In contrast, the adults often wedge themselves into corners and grip on to steep rock faces for hours at a time. They’re incredibly well adapted to living among rocks and are much better climbers than you might expect.”
Featured Image – Chester Zoo
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A TV channel playing Christmas films 24/7 is now back on air in the UK
Emily Sergeant
Do you think it’s too early for the ‘C word’? Never mind, you’ve already clicked on this article.
Sure, we may only be into our second full week of September, but given the fact the weather these past couple of days hasn’t exactly screamed summer, it already feels like the festive season is around the corner – but whether or not you think it’s too early to be talking about Christmas, it’ll soon be too tricky to escape from.
Especially not when the famous TV channel showing festive film favourites non-stop is now back on air in the UK.
Yes, you heard that right – Christmas films, 24-hours a day, seven days a week.
If you’re ready to wave goodbye to summer, and in welcome autumn and winter with open arms, then there’s arguably no better way of getting into the festive spirit than with the long-awaited and highly-anticipated return of the TV channel that’s charmed audiences for over half a decade now.
GREAT! Christmas the UK’s biggest seasonal channel, and it’s now live on Sky, Freesat, Freeview and Virgin Media.
You can expect almost four months of back-to-back seasonal movies.
The 24-hour feel-good and free-to-air channel will be bursting with non-stop Christmas spirit, and will be showing a heartwarming lineup of festive films – including some absolute fan-favourite classics that make it to screens every year without fail, alongside some cheesy Hallmark classics, new channel premieres, and so much more.
Emily Sergeant -
23rd January 2023 
