Former Top Gear presenter Chris Harris has revealed that he had warned BBC executives about the potential for a fatal accident before Freddie Flintoff was seriously injured in a crash while filming. The cricket legend was driving a three-wheeled vehicle on a test track when it overturned in icy conditions.
With no airbag, Flintoff’s face scraped the tarmac, resulting in multiple broken ribs and facial scars that required hours of surgery. Since the December 2022 accident, Flintoff has been battling anxiety, nightmares, and flashbacks from the traumatic event.
He subsequently left his role as a Top Gear presenter, reaching a substantial settlement with the BBC. The broadcaster later announced that the show would be put on hold indefinitely.
In a recent interview, Flintoff’s former co-host Chris Harris, who presented the show with him and Paddy McGuinness, recounted the horrifying aftermath of the crash. He admitted that he initially believed the cricket star had died in the accident before he was rushed to hospital.
During an appearance on the Joe Rogan Experience podcast, Harris – who now hosts the new BBC series ‘Paddy And Chris: Road Trippin” with McGuinness – explained how Flintoff, who was not wearing a helmet, had not received adequate briefing before driving the three-wheeled car due to a “rushed” filming schedule, reports Wales Online.
“He wasn’t wearing a crash helmet,” he revealed. “And if you do that, even at 25, 30 miles an hour, the injuries that you sustain are profound. I was there on the day, I was the only presenter with Fred that day.
“I wasn’t actually right by him, but I was close by. I remember the radio message that I heard. I always used to have a radio in my little room at the test track where I was sitting inside so I could hear what was going on.
“And I heard someone say this has been a real accident here. The car’s upside down. So I ran to the window, looked out and he wasn’t moving. So I thought he was dead. I assumed he was then he moved.
“He’s a physical specimen, Fred, he’s a big guy, six foot five, six foot six, strong,” Harris added. “And if he wasn’t so strong, he wouldn’t have survived. He’s a great advert for physical strength and conditioning, because if he hadn’t been that strong, he’d have just snapped his neck, he’d be dead.”
The presenter admitted feeling “partly responsible” for the crash, saying the car Flintoff was driving was “difficult” and required “experience”, which made him regret not being able to properly brief him on it.
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He also stated that prior to the mishap, he witnessed several instances where “it got too dangerous” during the filming of the show, including breaking a bone in his hand while performing a stunt in Thailand. Harris revealed that three months before Flintoff’s accident, he had voiced his fears to the BBC, cautioning them that “someone is going to die” if changes were not made.
He alleged that no steps were taken after his warning.
“What was never spoken about was that three months before the accident, I’d gone to the BBC and said, unless you change something, someone’s going to die on this show,” he explained. “I went to the BBC and I told them of my concerns from what I’d seen as the most experienced driver on the show by a mile. I said if we carry on at the very least we’re gonna have a serious injury at the very worst we’re gonna have fatality.”
“And I think what happened with Top Gear was I saw repeatedly too many times my two co-hosts who didn’t have the experience I had in cars. This is the critical thing. I’m qualified to make those decisions because I’ve done it a long time. They weren’t,” he continued. .
“One of them is an actor-comedian… the other guy is a pro cricket player. Brilliant entertainers. They were great hosts. But their roles were to make people laugh. And my role was to tell people what cars were like.”
He continued: “Anyhow, I went to the BBC and I said I want to have a meeting with the head of health and safety because this is not good. And what’s really killed me is that no one’s ever really acknowledged the fact that I called it beforehand”.
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