Freddie Flintoff is said to be launching his TV comeback, as he continues to heal from a horror Top Gear crash.
In December 2022, the TV star and pro cricketer, 46, suffered facial injuries and broken ribs and was said to be ‘lucky to be alive’ after a crash at the Top Gear test track during filming at Dunsfold Aerdrome in Surrey.
At the time, he had been driving an open-topped car going at 130mph when it flipped and slid along the track, and Freddie had to be airlifted to hospital.
He’s since kept a low profile, making rare public appearances, with former co-star Paddy McGuinness recently revealing he’s not spoken to his pal in months either.
Freddie has now been pictured returning to filming for his new series of Field of Dreams, with pictures showing that his scarring has healed.
A source shared: ‘This will be a huge comfort to his fans because it shows he’s healing well and returning to two of his greatest passions — sport and television.
‘It’s obvious that there is some scarring, which everyone expected, but Freddie looks to have made huge progress since he was last seen in public playing cricket.’
The insider added to The Sun: ‘He’s clearly comfortable enough to get in front of a camera again — something which was not the case this time last year.
‘They’re nervous first steps, as he’s recovering both mentally and physically, but the TV show he’s making is a real passion project for him.’
The first season of Field of Dreams saw Freddie return to his home city of Preston, but this time, he’s travelled to India.
This is his first major filming project in two years, after Top Gear was officially put to rest by the BBC.
The BBC confirmed in a statement last last year that it had been taken off air ‘for the foreseeable future’, given the ‘exceptional circumstances’.
In a statement given to the PA news agency, the broadcaster said: ‘Given the exceptional circumstances, the BBC has decided to rest the UK show for the foreseeable future.
‘The BBC remains committed to Freddie, Chris and Paddy who have been at the heart of the show’s renaissance since 2019, and we’re excited about new projects being developed with each of them.
‘We will have more to say in the near future on this. We know resting the show will be disappointing news for fans, but it is the right thing to do.
‘All other Top Gear activity remains unaffected by this hiatus including international formats, digital, magazines and licensing.’
Freddie, who has not yet spoken about the crash, was pictured at his first public outing since the incident months earlier, supporting fellow cricket stars by watching England’s opening one-day international against New Zealand at Cardiff’s Sophia Gardens.
Shortly afterwards, he spoke publicly for the first time, making a heartwarming speech while presenting cricketer Tom Hartley with his cap for the England cricket team.
In his speech, he said: ‘Play with passion, play with pride, play with belief. And also part of a family of people. They’ll share the good times with you, share the successes.
‘But as I found over the past few months, they’ll be there for you in the hardest times of your life.’
Metro.co.uk has reached out to Freddie’s reps for comment.
Freddie Flintoff’s Field of Dreams is available to watch on BBC iPlayer.
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