Entertainment

BBC denies reports Top Gear has been axed

BBC denies reports Top Gear has been axed
Top Gear, © PA Archive/PA Images

The BBC has denied reports it has axed Top Gear after presenter and former cricketer Andrew Flintoff was injured during filming last year.

The Sun reported on Friday that the BBC has told production staff to look for other work following the incident at the show’s test track Dunsfold Aerodrome last December.

A BBC spokesperson told the PA news agency: “A decision on the timing of future Top Gear shows will be made in due course with BBC Content.”

Former England captain Flintoff, 45, widely known by his nickname Freddie, was filmed on Wednesday speaking publicly for the first time since the accident in a clip released by England Cricket on social media.

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Top Gear
Freddie Flintoff stands next to a McLaren 600LT at the Top Gear test track at Dunsfold Park (Ian West/PA)

In the video, where he awarded an England cap to spin bowler Tom Hartley, Flintoff said: “It gives me so much pleasure to share what is going to be a day Tom that you’re going to remember for the rest of your life.”

Flintoff also touched on the incident and added: “They’ll (England Cricket team) share the good times with you, the successes. But as I found over the past few months, they’ll be there in the hardest times of your life, they will stand next to you.”

Filming halted

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Filming for series 34 of Top Gear was halted after the accident, and the BBC said in March that it would be inappropriate to resume making the series at that time following an internal investigation into what happened.

Flintoff’s son Corey said at the time he was “lucky to be alive” and described it as a “pretty nasty crash”.

Former sports star Flintoff began presenting Top Gear in 2019.

By Hannah Roberts, PA Entertainment Reporter

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