26 February 2024 , 09:51
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Paddy McGuinness has given an update on his Top Gear co-star Andrew "Freddie" Flintoff, who was seriously injured in a crash during filming towards the end of 2022.
Speaking in the wake of Top Gear being "rested" by the BBC following the horrific accident, with no plans for the show to return in the foreseeable future, Paddy described Freddie as a "resilient character" and said he'll be "right as rain". The dad-of-three went on to admit he hasn't spoken to the cricket legend "for a while" and added he is sure things will "all get sorted out".
In December 2022, Freddie was rushed to hospital with injuries to his face and ribs after a crash at the Top Gear test track in Surrey. Since then, he's slowly been getting back into the public eye, working with England's cricket team and coaching the Northern Superchargers in The Hundred.
When asked how Freddie is doing since the crash on ITV's Good Morning Britain today, Bolton-born Paddy said: "He’s all right. I’ve not spoken to him for a while, but, you know, he is getting on with it. He’s a very resilient character, is Fred. So I’ve no doubt he’ll be right as rain."
Paddy McGuinness gave ITV viewers an update on Andrew 'Freddie' Flintoff during today's Good Morning Britain (PA)Asked if he ever experienced hair-raising moments while filming the show, Paddy then joked: "Working with Chris Harris was the main one for me, that is a bit much." He went on to add: "Lots of things, honestly. I sound like a politician now, but I can’t really get into the ins and outs, because there’s all stuff still going on with Top Gear. At some point, it will all get sorted out."
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Freddie was taken to hospital after being involved in an accident while shooting for the hit motoring show at the Top Gear test track at Dunsfold Aerodrome in Surrey in December 2022, with the sports star hospitalised and left suffering with broken bones thanks to the accident.
The BBC issued a statement in May 2023, with a spokesperson saying: "(BBC Studios) have sincerely apologised to Freddie and will continue to support him with his recovery. Under the circumstances, we feel it would be inappropriate to resume making series 34 of Top Gear at this time. We understand this will be disappointing for fans, but it is the right thing to do, and we’ll make a judgment about how best to continue later this year. This has also impacted the production team, who we continue to support. Finally, there will be a health and safety review of the show, in line with our procedures."
Speaking to The Times later the same month, an insider close to Freddie said: "Freddie has been seriously emotionally and physically affected by the crash. He is a daredevil, that's what he does, and he doesn't feel like he is able to continue to play that role on the show."
Paddy, who first appeared on Top Gear alongside Freddie in June 2019, has been dipping his toe back into the world of comedy amid the BBC show's break from our screens and embarking on his first stand-up tour in eight years. Speaking about finding the time for touring on Good Morning Britain today, he said: "A tour takes up a lot your time so I’ve just genuinely never had time to put it in."
He continued: "It’s always in the back of my mind. I’m always writing stuff down and when Top Gear was paused, because Top Top Gear takes a massive chunk of the time, I was like: ‘I can do it now.’ And if I didn’t do it, I would never have done it and so it’s great because I put the tickets on sale, and they flew out, so it’s quite flattering. But then you start thinking: ‘Oh, I’ve got to do it.'"
Asked if he felt any nerves, Paddy admitted: "You’re always going to be nervous going on stage, but I think it’s quite seducing when you’re on stage with a live audience and they’re laughing and you get that instant interaction. It is a very seducing feeling, you know. But I’m one of those people, as soon as I walk off stage, I turn it off. I can’t wait to get home and watch Ice Road Truckers or something like that." Paddy described his material as "observational" but added: "I’m writing stuff at the minute and it might be my age, but I’m now at an age where I’m like: ‘They’re getting it, I can’t wait to talk about that.’ I’m in that slightly perturbed by things in the world (stage)."