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
Two men charged with rape of teenage girl under 16 in Manchester city centre
Emily Sergeant
Two men have been charged with the rape of a teenager girl under 16 years of age in Manchester city centre.
Mario-Alexandru Ratou and Mario-Vifor Ratou, who are both Romanian nationals of no fixed abode, have been charged with rape of a girl aged under 16, while the latter was also charged with false imprisonment.
They were arrested last Tuesday (7 April 2026), Greater Manchester Police (GMP) confirmed, after a report of rape at a flat in the Green Quarter area of the city earlier the same day.
A third man in his 20s was also arrested on suspicion of rape, but he has since been bailed pending further enquiries.
Speaking following the two men being charged this week, Chief Superintendent David Meeney, who is GMP’s City of Manchester District Commander, said: “Our priority is ensuring the girl, and her two friends who were with her at the time of the attack, continue to receive specialist support during this traumatic time, and as this case proceeds through the court.
“We know this will cause concern across our communities, however as criminal proceedings are now active, I urge the public not to speculate so the legal process can take its proper course for the girl and her family.
“We remain firmly committed to protecting young girls across Greater Manchester and to help people feel safe.
“I ask that the public continue to support us, so if you have any information that could help the investigation, please come forward and report it.”
Anyone with any information is asked to contact police directly online or via 101, quoting incident 2436 of 07/04/2026 or details can also be passed anonymously to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
Featured Image – GMP
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The Strokes announce first Manchester gig in two decades
Daisy Jackson
The Strokes are finally set to return to Manchester for the first time in years, announcing a huge arena show today.
The iconic indie rockers have shared details of a new European tour, which includes a night at the massive Co-op Live arena here in Manchester.
The news comes hot off the heels of their celebrated Coachella set over the weekend.
The Reality Awaits Tour, named after their upcoming seventh studio album, will take The Strokes to Manchester as well as London and Newcastle, plus several cities across Europe.
The Strokes broke into the industry back in 2001 with their seminal debut album Is This It, which spawned massive indie anthems like Last Nite, Hard To Explain, and Sometimes.
Since then, they’ve released six studio albums, all of which have climbed into the top 10 of the UK Albums Chart.
You can expect to hear all sorts of fan favourites, like Reptilia, Juicebox, and You Only Live Once, plus new music including their latest single The New Abnormal.
Co-op Live said: “This is set to be an unmissable show as they come to Co-op Live for the first time and we can’t wait!”
Last time The Strokes played in Manchester, it was at the O2 Apollo way back in 2006 – the same year they supported Foo Fighters at Emirates Old Trafford Cricket Ground.
They played Lytham Festival more recently, but haven’t ventured back into Manchester itself since.
The Strokes will play at Co-op Live in Manchester on 26 October 2026.
Tickets will go on sale at 10am on Friday 17 April HERE, with a number of pre-sales beginning from Wednesday 15 April.
Emily Sergeant -
7th August 2024 
