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
News
Tributes paid to ‘much-loved’ Manchester firefighter who died unexpectedly last week
Emily Sergeant
Tributes have been paid to a ‘much-loved’ Manchester firefighter who died unexpectedly at his home last week.
Francois Childs, who was better known as ‘Frankie’ to his friends and family, served on Green Watch at Broughton Community Fire Station in Salford, where he had been based since joining Greater Manchester Fire & Rescue Service (GMFRS) in January 2018.
Frankie joined GMFRS following a career in banking, and serving with the machine gun platoon of the Bury Fusiliers.
But the 44-year-old sadly passed away “suddenly and unexpectedly” at his home in Prestwich last Tuesday (3 September).
The former Army reservist leaves behind wife Sarah, two children, his parents, and three brothers.
We send our heartfelt condolences to the family, friends and colleagues of Firefighter Francois ‘Frankie’ Childs, who passed away suddenly yesterday.
Frankie, 44, had been a much-loved member of Green Watch at Broughton fire station for more than six years.
— Greater Manchester Fire & Rescue Service (@manchesterfire) September 6, 2024
As well as being a dedicated GMFRS firefighter, Frankie was also one of 12 Fire Brigade Union (FBU) members who volunteered their time to travel to France to support the Care 4 Calais Charity back in November of 2023.
Paying tribute to Frankie following his sad passing, Sarah Nattrass, who is the Assistant Chief Fire Officer and Director of Service Delivery at GMFRS, said: “We are deeply saddened to hear of the sudden death of one of our colleagues and share our heartfelt condolences with Frankie’s family, friends, and colleagues.
“Frankie was part of our GMFRS family for more than six years as a much-loved member of Green Watch, Broughton, and he will be very sadly missed by all his friends and colleagues.”
The FBU has also paid a touching tribute.
“The charity could not provide this support without dedicated and caring people like Frankie,” an FBU spokesperson said.
“His support will not be forgotten by the FBU or by the many people his efforts undoubtedly helped contributed to making refugees lives better.”
Featured Image – GMFRS
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US rapper Ice Spice to play massive Manchester show next month on her Y2K World Tour
Thomas Melia
Things are about to get a whole lot chillier in Manchester next month, as Ice Spice is set for a massive show in our city.
Fresh off-the-back of headlining Wireless Festival in July, the princess of rap is coming back to the UK next month, and will be bringing the world of Y2K to Manchester, taking over one of the city’s most iconic venues.
Ice Spice, who is most notable for her heavy-hitting beats and collaborations with acts like Nicki Minaj and PinkPantheress, will be arriving in Manchester in a couple of weeks time for the first of three UK dates on her world tour.
After stopping off in Manchester, the rapper will also performing in Birmingham and London in November, so us Mancs need to set the bar high first.
The 24-year-old only came onto the rap scene three years ago, and since then has seen herself become a social media music phenomenon – with each drop gaining more traction than the last.
Her recent single ‘Did It First’ features UK drill artist Central Cee, who joined her on stage at Wireless Festival as part of her headlining slot this July, where she wowed a crowd of 50,000.
‘Y2K’ is the name of the rapper’s debut album, not to be confused with the early noughties fashion resurgence of the same name. However, the real meaning behind the project’s name is due to the American star being born on 1 January 2000.
She may only be 5ft 3, but Ice Spice sure packs a punch, and if it’s not her fiery orange hair, then it’s her carefree stage presence that sets her apart from the rest.
O2 Victoria Warehouse has been a hotspot for many artists including Mabel, Aitch and Becky Hill since its rebrand in 2018, and now the 3,500 capacity venue will be housing The Bronx native Ice Spice on Wednesday 30 October.
Tickets are now on sale, with a general admission ticket setting you back £58.35, but there’s also the option to purchase a meet and greet package for £216.35.
Emily Sergeant -
7th August 2024 
