Top Gear is returning to the BBC, it has been confirmed. Director of Entertainment Ed Harvard has said the series is back in development, four years after former presenter Freddie Flintoff suffered terrible injuries in a crash.
“I can tell you that Top Gear is coming back,” he told the Edinburgh TV Festival. But declining to comment on rumours that Jimmy Carr is in talks to present, he said: “I’m not talking about the talent.”
Show shelved after 2023 crash
The show was hauled off air in 2023 following an investigation into presenter Andrew “Freddie” Flintoff’s crash. Former professional cricketer Flintoff, 45, was taken to hospital after being involved in an accident while shooting for the hit motoring show. The incident happened while he was at the Top Gear test track at Dunsfold Aerodrome in Surrey on December 13.
The corporation released a statement at the time which said: “(BBC Studios) have sincerely apologised to Freddie and will continue to support him with his recovery.
“Under the circumstances, we feel it would be inappropriate to resume making series 34 of Top Gear at this time. We understand this will be disappointing for fans, but it is the right thing to do, and we’ll make a judgment about how best to continue later this year.
“This has also impacted the production team, who we continue to support. Finally, there will be a health and safety review of the show, in line with our procedures.”
The Stig speaks about the accident
Last month, Top Gear star The Stig spoke for the first time about the crash and said he thought Flintoff was going to die after he was “sprayed” with his blood. Flintoff, 48, was taken to hospital with facial and rib injuries following the accident at Dunsfold Aerodrome in Surrey in December 2022.
Paul Rees, who was The Stig from 2019 to 2022, was sitting beside Flintoff in the Morgan Super 3 on the day it crashed. Speaking to The Sun, Rees said: “I was getting wet and I was like, ‘why am I getting wet?’ because it wasn’t fuel or anything like that. Then my vision went red and I now know that was blood from Fred just spraying me in the face.
“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.”
The car, which did not have a roof, flipped upside down and skidded on the tarmac before coming to a stop. Rees said: “I remember thinking that if we can get out of this and be in wheelchairs, we’re lucky.”
