Former England cricketer Freddie Flintoff is back on TV on Sunday in a new series of his BBC showAndrew Flintoff and wife Rachel pictured in 2018(Image: GOR/GC Images)

England cricket legend Freddie Flintoff returns to our screens this evening in the third series of Freddie Flintoff’s Field of Dreams.

After the enormous success of the first two series, 47-year-old Flintoff is taking on what he describes at his biggest challenge yet.

This time the former all-rounder will attempt to form boys’ teams in the cities of Manchester and Liverpool while also attempting to create his first-ever girls team in Blackpool.

This new venture comes nearly three years after he suffered serious injuries in a collision while filming for Top Gear at the close of 2022, an incident that left him with profound scars both physically and emotionally.

The broadcaster had been operating an open-topped three-wheeler around the programme’s test track at speeds of approximately 130mph before it overturned in freezing conditions.

While he had decelerated to 22mph at that moment, his face was scraped along the road surface as he wasn’t wearing protective headgear and there was allegedly no airbag fitted in the vehicle.

Consequently, he suffered serious facial trauma and numerous fractured ribs from the collision and was instantly rushed to hospital for what was described as four hours of surgical treatment.

His wife Rachael, who dashed from the family’s Altrincham residence to the Surrey hospital where he was receiving care, was even cautioned by a surgeon to “expect the worst”, while his son Corey subsequently revealed he was fortunate to survive.

A surgeon who treated Flintoff disclosed that the “very complex” injuries he sustained included hard and soft tissue damage, broken and lost teeth, and fractures and displacement to part of the upper jaw bone.

Despite surviving, Flintoff has been left with significant scarring and has struggled with mental health issues – including anxiety, flashbacks, and nightmares – since the accident.

In the wake of the incident, he confessed he was already “struggling already” as he faced a “long road” to recovery.

“Week and a half after my accident,” he shared in a hospital-recorded video. “Genuinely should not be here after what happened.

“This is going to be a long road back and I have only just started and I am struggling already. I need help. I really am not the best at asking for it. I need to stop crying every two minutes.”

Months after the incident, he admitted the recovery process had been much more challenging than he anticipated, explaining: “I thought I could just shake it off, I want to shake it off and say ‘here I am, I am alright’ but it has not been the case, it has been a lot harder than I thought.

“I am struggling with my anxiety, I have nightmares, I have flashbacks, it has been so hard to cope with,” he added, admitting that he didn’t know if he will ever feel “100 per cent” again.

“I don’t know what completely better is,” said Flintoff. “I am what I am now, I am different to what I was. That is something I will probably have to deal with for the rest of my life. Better? No. Different.”

Flintoff subsequently resigned from his presenting role on Top Gear and later secured a significant compensation settlement from the BBC, reportedly totalling £9 million.

The show’s production was halted, and the broadcaster has since issued an apology to the former England cricketer while confirming the programme remains off air “for the foreseeable future”.

“We have sincerely apologised to Freddie and will continue to support him with his recovery,” the BBC said in a statement. “We understand [halting the show] will be disappointing for fans, but it is the right thing to do, and we’ll make a judgement about how best to continue later this year.”

Following the incident, Flintoff has received support from his wife of 20 years, Rachael, whom he wed in Knightsbridge during March 2005.

A former model, Rachael currently operates her own successful events company called Strawberry Promotions, having first encountered Flintoff whilst promoting her business at a function at Edgbaston Cricket Ground in 2002.

Reflecting on their initial meeting, she confessed: “He really wasn’t my type physically, because I generally prefer dark men. But I thought he was the funniest guy I had ever met.

“He obtained my phone number and texted me a couple of times, and we went up for a drink, and I was really blown away by his charm.”

The couple, parents to four children – Holly, Corey, Rocky and Preston – reside in a plush £2.5m home in Altrincham, Greater Manchester.

Flintoff’s successful career in cricket and television has resulted in a substantial net worth, estimated to be around £16million.

However, Freddie Flintoff Enterprises, the company he operates with his wife to manage his post-cricket business ventures, reported significant losses earlier this year.

After posting a profit of £256,278 the previous year, according to accounts filed with Companies House, the company reported a loss of £646,823 for the year ending 30 June 2024.

Despite the downturn, the company’s net assets also decreased from £6.9m to £6.3m during this period, but dividends of £325,222 were still paid out to the couple.