Freddie Flintoff has opened up on the ‘anxiety, nightmares, and flashbacks’ he experienced after his Top Gear crash.
The former Lancashire and England cricketer, turned popular TV personality and presenter – whose real name is Andrew, but is more commonly-known by the nickname ‘Freddie’ – was notably involved in a significant crash while filming for since while filming for Top Gear back in mid December 2022.
Those sources also claimed at the time that it was likely the Preston-born sportsman would “never return” to Top Gear filming, before the BBC then later announced in November 2023 that it had made the decision to “rest” the long-running show, and that the programme would not be returning to our screens for the “foreseeable future”.
Freddie Flintoff has opened up on his ‘anxiety and nightmares’ after the Top Gear crash / Credit: BBC
Flintoff – who is the current head coach of the Northern Superchargers cricket team – has previously spoken publicly about “the hardest time” in his life following the crash, but has now bravely opened up further about his experiences during the second series of his BBC documentary show, Freddie Flintoff’s Field of Dreams.
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In the first series of Field of Dreams – which aired in 2022 – Flintoff returned to his hometown to assemble a cricket team of teenagers who’d never played the game before, while the second series centres on the team taking a tour of India.
Filming for the second series began prior to Flintoff’s accident, with the crash occurring 12 weeks before the tour was scheduled to take place, and in the documentary, Flintoff is shown a week and a half after the accident in footage he shot himself on his phone.
This also marks the first time he reveals the initial extent of his facial injuries, before any surgery took place at later dates.
Speaking about his recovery journey to cameras while filming for the second season of the show, Flintoff explained: “I thought I could just shake it off. I wanted to shake it off and say ‘everything’s all right’, but it’s not been the case.
“It’s been a lot harder than I thought.
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“As much as I wanted to go out and do things, I’ve just not been able to. I struggle with anxiety. I have nightmares, I have flashbacks. It’s been so hard to cope with.”
Freddie Flintoff’s Field of Dreams is set to begin on Tuesday 13 August at 9pm on BBC One, or you can also catch up on BBC iPlayer.
Featured Image – BBC
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Glitzy Spinningfields bar famed for its bottomless deals shuts down
Daisy Jackson
Popular cocktail bar group Banyan has suddenly closed its glitzy bar in the heart of Spinningfields.
The restaurant and bar, which is part of the Arc Inspirations group that also operates Manahatta and Box, has shut down with immediate effect.
A sign has been posted in the window of the Spinningfields site of Banyan confirming its closure.
Banyan opened in 2018 and was the second site for the brand, which has been operating out of the Corn Exchange since 2015.
Inside, the huge 7,000sq ft space was split into spaces for drinking, dining and dancing, including a large mezzanine and a huge white marble bar.
Banyan is famed for its bottomless deals, whether that’s a classic bottomless brunch or their bottomless Sunday roast (endless Yorkshire puddings, gravy, wine, and roast potatoes).
It also offered two-for-one cocktails, all day every day.
The bar stands on the side of Spinningfields, directly opposite The Ivy and alongside The Alchemist.
Banyan in Spinningfields has shut downThe note in the window of Banyan
But now it has permanently closed its doors, thanking people for their custom over its almost-decade in Manchester.
The sign on the door says: “Banyan Spinningfields is now permanently closed.
“Thank you so much for your custom over the years, we’ve loved being part of this wonderful city and have made so many friends.
“Don’t be a stranger, we’d love to continue to welcome you to our Banyan bar in the Corn Exchange. Team Banyan.”
Council seized £4.3m worth of counterfeit goods from Manchester’s streets in 2025
Emily Sergeant
A whopping £4.3 million of counterfeit goods were seized from Manchester’s streets in 2025, the Council has revealed.
Now that 2025 has come to end, Manchester City Council has announced that its Trading Standards Team seized and destroyed more than 43,500 counterfeit items in the last year – ranging from everything like fake handbags, trainers, and jewellery, to electronic items, sportswear, children’s toys, sunglasses, and much more.
Through ‘exemplary partnership work’ with Greater Manchester Police (GMP), the Council says this criminal industry has taken a ‘substantial hit’ over the past 12 months.
It’s also estimated that the goods seized would have lost the industry up to £43 million.
Councillor Lee-Ann Igbon, who is the Executive Member for Vibrant Neighbourhoods at Manchester City Council, said the Council hopes this action ‘sends a message that we will not tolerate this harmful trade.’
The Council seized £4.3m worth of counterfeit goods from Manchester’s streets in 2025 / Credit: GMP
“The counterfeit industry was substantially embedded in our communities, but through their diligence and the support of our valued partners we have driven away some of the worst offenders and are beginning the process of regenerating the areas of Manchester that were long blighted by this sort of crime,” she added.
It’s not just counterfeit goods that’ve been targeted either, as a substantial push was also made throughout the year to crack-down on the sale and distribution of illicit tobacco.
In total, 316,625 cigarettes – which is equivalent to nearly 16,000 individual packs – were seized by the Council and police.
258kg of hand rolling tobacco was also seized, as well as more than 18,000 illegal vapes that don’t comply with UK laws or regulations.
Detective Chief Inspector Melanie Johnson, who is the lead coordinator of Operation Machinize for GMP, says the police takes any information it receives about counterfeit trading ‘very seriously’.
“We will continue to investigate all aspects of this criminality to protect our communities from the harms of illegal products.”
Emily Sergeant -
7th August 2024 
