The BBC has ‘decided to rest the UK show’.
The
BBC has announced that
Top Gear will not return for the “foreseeable future” after host Freddie Flintoff was seriously injured in a crash during filming.
Last year, Flintoff was was behind the wheel while shooting an episode of the BBC motoring show at Dunsfold Park Aerodrome in Surrey when the accident happened.
The England cricket legend had been driving an open-topped three-wheel Morgan Super 3 car when the vehicle flipped and slid along the track at high speed.
He wasn’t wearing a helmet at the time and suffered serious facial injuries, along with broken ribs.
Following the incident, the BBC announced that filming for the 34th series had been cancelled, and apologised to Flintoff.
In a statement on Tuesday (21 November), the broadcaster confirmed it had “decided to rest the UK show".
Andrew ‘Freddie’ Flintoff had presented Top Gear alongside Chris Harris, left, and Paddy McGuinness, right, since 2019
The BBC added that it “remains committed to Freddie, Chris and Paddy who have been at the heart of the show’s renaissance since 2019" and that it is "excited about new projects being developed with each of them".
"We will have more to say in the near future on this," it also said.
“We know resting the show will be disappointing news for fans, but it is the right thing to do.
“All other Top Gear activity remains unaffected by this hiatus including international formats, digital, magazines and licensing.”
Flintoff had largely been absent from the public eye since the accident, but earlier this year, he appeared in public for the first time since the crash when he joined the England cricket team setup for a match against New Zealand in Cardiff.
The former England all-rounder had visible scars on his face.
Flintoff appeared in public in September in his role as mentor to the England team before their One Day International match against New Zealand
The BBC reached a reported £9m settlement with Flintoff. This will not be funded by the UK license fee as BBC Studios is a commercial arm of the broadcaster.
The studios launched an investigation into the incident which was concluded in March this year but will not be published.
A separate investigation, meanwhile, by the the Health and Safety Executive found no evidence of serious failings.
Flintoff has hosted Top Gear alongside motoring journalist Chris Harris, 48, and comedian Paddy McGuinness, 50, since 2019.
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