21 November 2023 , 12:19
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The BBC will rest hit motoring show Top Gear for the foreseeable future, following a crash that left host Andrew Freddie Flintoff seriously injured, it has been announced.
Production for the BBC show has been halted since former England cricket captain Flintoff, 45, was taken to hospital in December 2022 after he was injured in an accident at the Top Gear test track at Dunsfold Aerodrome in Surrey.
Following the horror crash, the BBC announced that it would pause production on the show, co-presented by Take Me Out host Paddy McGuinness and automotive journalist Chris Harris, as it was felt it would be 'inappropriate'. At the time, they added that there would be a health and safety review.
Freddie Flintoff suffered facial injuries after the horror Top Gear crash (Getty Images)In a statement given to the PA news agency, the BBC 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.”
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BBC Studios also said a health and safety production review of Top Gear, which did not cover the accident but instead looked at previous seasons, found that “while BBC Studios had complied with the required BBC policies and industry best practice in making the show, there were important learnings which would need to be rigorously applied to future Top Gear UK productions.”
A statement added: “The report includes a number of recommendations to improve approaches to safety as Top Gear is a complex programme-making environment routinely navigating tight filming schedules and ambitious editorial expectations – challenges often experienced by long-running shows with an established on and off screen team.
“Learnings included a detailed action plan involving changes in the ways of working, such as increased clarity on roles and responsibilities and better communication between teams for any future Top Gear production.”
Last December, Flintoff suffered facial injuries and broken ribs in the accident at Dunsfold Park Aerodrome in Surrey, where he had been driving an open-topped three-wheel Morgan Super 3 at 130mph. However, the public will never know the full extent of what happened, according to co-star Chris Harris.
Chris spoke about the "serious incident" and explained that Freddie is still healing from it. He went on to say that he is "proud" that those working on Top Gear have kept details "quiet".
Speaking on BBC Breakfast earlier this month, Chris said: "I think he's healing. It was a serious incident. I'm not going say any more than that. I'm so proud of the fact that team Top Gear kept everything quiet and we were dignified. There is nothing out there about what happened and there won't be.
"There's no mole in the organisation. I'm really, really proud of that. As long as he's healing, it's great to see him out and about being passionate about cricket. I'm sad I'm not doing Top Gear with him at the moment, but that's life, it's the best thing for him right now."
Freddie has since agreed a settlement with the BBC after the crash. It has been reported that he has received a pay out from the BBC over the accident.
The Mirror has reached out to a BBC spokesperson for further comment on this story.