The BBC is set to bring back Top Gear, four years after the popular series was shelved following a horror crash involving presenter Freddie Flintoff.
Former England cricket captain Flintoff was seriously injured while filming for the show in late 2022, when the open-topped three-wheeler he was driving around a test track flipped over in icy conditions. With the presenter not wearing a helmet, and reportedly no airbag in the vehicle, he suffered severe facial injuries as his face was dragged along the tarmac, as well as multiple broken ribs.
After being rushed to hospital, Flintoff underwent four hours of surgery, with a surgeon later revealing that he had suffered hard and soft tissue injuries, broken and lost teeth and fractures and displacement to part of the upper jaw bone.
Flintoff's mental health struggles and exit
As well as his physical scars, the cricket icon was also left with mental health issues linked to the accident, including anxiety, flashbacks and nightmares.
While Flintoff later made his return to both TV presenting and cricket, he quit Top Gear - which he presented alongside Paddy McGuinness and Chris Harris - shortly after the accident, with it later confirmed that he had reached a huge £9 million compensation settlement with the BBC.
Filming was halted in the wake of the accident, with it then announced that the programme - which first aired on the BBC in 2002 - was being shelved "for the foreseeable future".
BBC apology and shelving
In a statement in March 2023, the corporation said: "We have sincerely apologised to Freddie and will continue to support him with his recovery.
"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."
Now, with the fourth anniversary of Flintoff's crash approaching, the series is set to be brought back with a new presenter at the helm.
Jimmy Carr tipped as new host
The Sun reports that comedian Jimmy Carr is set to be the new face of the revived show, with the BBC said to be keen for the 8 Out of 10 Cats and Last One Laughing UK presenter to take the programme "into a new era".
Carr is a huge motoring enthusiast, with a personal car collection worth in the region of £1 million and featuring a classic 1967 Aston Martin DB6, a Bentley Continental GT and a Marussia F1 car. He also appeared on Top Gear several times when the show was presented by Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond and James May.
The world-renowned stand-up is set to be joined by co-hosts on the rebooted version of the show, although no further names have been leaked.
A source told The Sun: "Production have their sights set on Jimmy, he’s the ideal host to take the show into a new era and revive Top Gear. He’s keen to work on something mainstream after spending so many years fronting comedy panel shows.
"He’s a real car buff, too, so it would be a passion project. Casting directors are now working to find talent to join him in the new-look ensemble."
