Cricket star Andrew ‘Freddie’ Flintoff disclosed that he lost all his teeth in a severe car accident while filming an episode of Top Gear in 2022. Flintoff, who has been dealing with post-traumatic stress disorder from the incident, shared this heartbreaking revelation during a stage appearance at the Victoria Palace Theatre.
During his appearance, the renowned England cricket figure recounted pivotal moments that influenced his life and career, including a story about consuming 13 pints before scoring 142 against South Africa.
Although Flintoff briefly mentioned the harrowing crash that left him fearing for his life, he revealed for the first time that he is now toothless following the incident. The 47-year-old suffered extensive injuries, losing a considerable part of his upper lip in the crash involving a Morgan Super 3 trike at Dunsfold Park Aerodrome.
In a documentary on Disney+, Flintoff confessed that he believed he had perished when the three-wheeler he was driving overturned. Surgeon Jahrad Haq, who treated Flintoff, described the injuries as “highly complex,” involving a mix of hard and soft tissue injuries, broken and missing teeth, as well as fractures and displacements in the upper jaw bone.
Reflecting on the accident, Flintoff recalled vividly the sequence of events on that life-altering day. Despite acknowledging that he once thought life might be easier if he had died in the crash, the England legend emphasized that he never contemplated suicide and credited cricket for helping him through the recovery process.
Since his recuperation, Flintoff has reengaged with cricket, contributing as a coach for the Northern Superchargers in The Hundred and the England Lions. His wife Rachael highlighted the sport’s role in his healing journey, underscoring how cricket provided him with renewed purpose and motivation.
Following the 2022 crash, Top Gear was put on hold by the BBC in 2023 and has not returned to television screens. Flintoff has since appeared in the documentary series Freddie Flintoff’s Field of Dreams and hosted a revamped edition of the darts game show Bullseye.
