Paul Rees, who was The Stig from 2019 to 2022, has said he thought he and Andrew 'Freddie' Flintoff were going to die after they were both involved in a horror crash at the show's test track.
Former England cricketer Freddie was rushed to the hospital following a horrific crash which happened while filming for Top Gear in December 2022. Freddie was at Dunsfold Park Aerodrome in Surrey, driving an open-topped three-wheeled Morgan Super 3 on the test track when the vehicle flipped over.
He was left with severe facial injuries as well as several broken ribs. The star took some time out of the limelight and embarked on "a long road" to recovery.
BBC Axed Top Gear After Crash
At the time, the BBC also announced they were scrapping series 34 of Top Gear, but later confirmed in November 2023 that they were axing the show altogether. The broadcaster confirmed in a statement: "Given the exceptional circumstances, the BBC has decided to rest the UK show for the foreseeable future."
Now, Paul Rees, who was The Stig from 2019 to 2022, has told how he was sitting beside Freddie on the day the car crashed. Speaking to The Sun, Rees said: "... I pulled him back next to me, took one look at him and I thought he was dead. A million things went through my mind in that moment, but we just had to save Fred."
Rees Recalls Terrifying Moments
The car, which did not have a roof, flipped upside down and skidded on the tarmac before coming to a stop. He went on: "I remember thinking that if we can get out of this and be in wheelchairs, we’re lucky. It was a terrifying thought."
"Everything goes in slow motion. I genuinely felt like we were going to potentially die, because we had no protection." Rees also said he believed there was "no way" someone could have survived the injuries.
It was reported last week that Rees is suing BBC Studios and is seeking up to £150,000 for personal injury. A BBC Studios spokesperson said: "We dispute this claim and are defending it. As it’s now before the courts, it would be inappropriate to comment further."
Flintoff's Own Account
In his Disney+ documentary Freddie, released last year, Freddie revealed that he ‘remembers everything’ about the crash. "I thought I was dead, because I was conscious but I couldn't see anything. I was thinking, is that it? Is that it? You know what I mean? Just black for the rest of my days?"
"My hat came over my eyes - so I pulled my hat up and I thought, no I'm not [dead], I'm on the Top Gear track, this is not heaven," he said.
Freddie added that his ‘biggest fear’ was that his ‘face had come off’, admitting he was ‘frightened to death’ by the incident. According to Freddie, his ‘lowest’ moment was during his recovery process when he was struggling with his mental health.
