Freddie Flintoff looks in great spirits while smiling out and about in London 18 months after Top Gear horror crash
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Freddie Flintoff looked in great spirits in London on Wednesday as he continues to put his Top Gear horror crash firmly behind him 18 months on from the incident.
The former cricket captain, 46, was seen smiling and laughing as he chatted away to people outside the swanky Charlotte Street Hotel.
Freddie was driving an open-topped sports car at 130mph when it flipped over at Dunsfold airfield in Surrey in December 2022 - leaving him 'lucky to be alive'.
The accident left facial scars that while still visible, seemed to be on the mend.
Keeping it casual on his outing , Freddie, whose real name is Andrew, opted for a grey Nike sweatshirt and cargo black shorts.
Freddie Flintoff looked in great spirits as he smiled while out and about in London on Wednesday, 18 months after his Top Gear horror crash
The former cricket captain, 46, was seen smiling and laughing as he chatted away to people outside the swanky Charlotte Street Hotel
Freddie, pictured in another car while filming, was driving an open-topped sports car at 130mph when it flipped over at Dunsfold airfield in Surrey in December 2022 - leaving him 'lucky to be alive'
He completed the look with white Nike sports and white Crocs as he was seen engaging with fans.
Fans of the star have been relieved to see his recovery taking good shape after he became the new head coach of the Superchargers.
While Flintoff kept a low-profile initially in the aftermath of the incident, he has started returning to the public eye in recent months.
Although evidence of his injuries were at first clearly visible, they are already starting to fade somewhat.
Bosses at the BBC felt it would be 'inappropriate' to carry on filming Top Gear in wake of what happened.
In a statement, the broadcaster 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.'
Keeping it casual, Freddie opted for a grey Nike sweatshirt and cargo black shorts. He completed the look with some white Nike sports and white Crocs as he was seen engaging with fans
The sports star appeared friendly as he continues to put his Top Gear horror crash firmly behind him 18 months on from the incident
He looked happy and carefree as he wandered about in casual clothes near the London hotel
Fans of the star have been relieved to see his recovery taking good shape after he became the new head coach of the Superchargers
While Flintoff kept a low-profile initially in the aftermath of the incident, he has started returning to the public eye in recent months
Freddie laughed with members of the public as he put on an animated display
Freddie was first seen in public following the crash in September last year when he was photographed with cuts on his face.
He was spotted making a return to senior England cricket by joining the coaching staff at Cardiff's Sophia Gardens for the one-day international series against New Zealand as a mentor.
It was not the first time filming for Top Gear caused serious injuries - both Richard Hammond and Jeremy Clarkson have previously told of awful crashes which has seen them need urgent medical attention while filming the BBC show.
In the aftermath of the accident, Freddie's wife Rachael reportedly begged him to stay off work - perhaps influencing his decision to return to the relatively gentle world of cricket, as opposed to the increasingly daring lifestyle he lived before his crash.
A source told the Sun: 'As a loving husband and dad he understands the fear his family feel about what's happened, knowing that he could have been killed. He is determined to resume his TV work at some point though.
'That's why this decision will be a painful one for Freddie, but he knows that, for now at least, there are more important things in life.'
The star looked in good spirits as he enjoyed the good weather in London
Freddie looked relaxed as he strode around the capital
Freddie was first seen in public following the crash in September last year when he was photographed with cuts on his face
He was spotted making a return to senior England cricket by joining the coaching staff at Cardiff's Sophia Gardens for the one-day international series against New Zealand as a mentor
Freddie, whose England career spanned between 1999 and 2009, was integral to England's historic Ashes against Australia in 2005
In the aftermath of the accident, Freddie's wife Rachael reportedly begged him to stay off work - perhaps influencing his decision to return to the relatively gentle world of cricket, as opposed to the increasingly daring lifestyle he lived before his crash
Chris Harris presents Top Gear alongside Freddie Flintoff and Paddy McGuinness
Freddie's son Rocky seems to be following his father's cricket footsteps after he hit a superb century for England's Under-19s on day three of their second unofficial Test against Sri Lanka on Thursday
And Freddie's son Rocky seems to be following his father's cricket footsteps after he hit a superb century for England's Under-19s on day three of their second unofficial Test against Sri Lanka on Thursday.
The teenage player, 16, converted his overnight 82 into three figures off 176 balls before being dismissed five deliveries later for 106.
Rocky signed his first professional contract at Lancashire last month, having made a ton for the second team, while he also hit a match-winning 106 to help England Under-19s beat a Young Lions Invitational XI at Loughborough.
At just 16 years of age, Rocky has become the youngest player to hit a century for the England U19s.
He will be eager to follow in his father's footsteps, with Andrew having played 79 Tests, 141 one-day internationals and seven T20s across a glittering career.
The all-rounder, whose England career spanned between 1999 and 2009, was integral to England's historic Ashes against Australia in 2005.
