Top Gear Put On Indefinite Hiatus By BBC In Wake Of Freddie Flintoff Crash

Andrew ‘Freddie’ Flintoff, Paddy McGuinness and Chris Harris in London as they are revealed as BBC Top Gear’s new presenting line-up, taking over the helm from Matt LeBlanc whose final series will air in early 2019 on BBC Two. (Press Association via AP Images)

Popular show Top Gear will be put on indefinite hiatus in a decision following the serious accident involving host Freddie Flintoff, the BBC announced Tuesday.

The move comes after Flintoff, who shifted careers from being England cricket captain to broadcasting, was critically injured in a high-speed crash at Dunsfold Park Aerodrome in Surrey last December, a site frequently used in the show since 2002.

After the crash, the BBC conducted an independent health and safety review, the results of which will not be released. A separate report reviewing past series of Top Gear highlighted significant safety learnings for the show’s production.

The BBC extended an apology to Flintoff in March and agreed to a financial settlement with the host, reportedly amounting to £9 million. Since the accident, Flintoff has been seen with visible facial injuries and is reported to be managing “life-altering injuries.”

Flintoff’s ordeal is not the first major accident to impact a Top Gear presenter. Former host Richard Hammond narrowly escaped death in 2006 at Elvington airfield in York when a dragster he was piloting for a British land speed record attempt crashed at 288 mph, leading to a “significant brain injury” and a two-week coma.

The cricket legend joined the Top Gear team in 2019, presenting alongside Paddy McGuinness and Chris Harris. The BBC expressed continued support for the show’s hosts, stating excitement about new projects in development with each of them. While acknowledging fans’ disappointment, the BBC emphasised that the decision to rest the show was appropriate.

Top Gear’s international formats, digital content, magazines, and licensing, remain unaffected.