Axed: Top Gear
Nearly a year after "Freddie" Flintoff's accident, BBC says resting long-running show for the foreseeable future, "is the right thing to do."
- Published by David Knox
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Long-running motoring show Top Gear will not return “for the foreseeable future” after presenter Andrew “Freddie” Flintoff was hurt in a crash last December.
In a statement, the BBC said it has “decided to rest the UK show”.
The presenter was injured in December at Top Gear‘s test track at Dunsfold Park Aerodrome in Surrey.
The 34th series was subsequently halted and the BBC apologised to the former England cricketer.
The BBC added it “remains committed to Freddie, Chris and Paddy who have been at the heart of the show’s renaissance since 2019, and we’re excited about new projects being developed with each of them. We will have more to say in the near future on this.
“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 recently reached a settlement with the BBC, reportedly worth £9m (AU$17.3m).
Former presenter Richard Hammond spent two weeks in a coma in 2006 after crashing at an airfield in York in a jet-powered Vampire dragster.
Top Gear first aired in 1977 when Angela Rippon and Tom Coyne as hosts. Jeremy Clarkson then took over in 1988, leaving 11 years later before returning for a revamped version in 2002 alongside Richard Hammond and Jason Dowe, who was later replaced by James May the following year.
The three left the show in 2015, before Flintoff, McGuinness and Harris took the wheel in 2019.
Paramount+ recently announced a reboot of Top Gear Australia with BBC Studios ANZ General Manager and Creative Director Kylie Washington telling TV Tonight,” I guess there would never be a time where safety is not the highest priority. That is certainly the case on this show.”
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3 Responses
These people who drive fast on the show are not competitve drivers who race cars professionally, it was only a matter of time something would go wrong.
It has, numerous times over the years to various degrees.
Was not a great fan of these 3, constant boys at play laughter, however in an interview with Chris Harris he talked at great length on the team behind the show and how well they handled Flintoffs accident without all or any media gossiping or stories. Surprising to see the show not moving forward as Hammond was able to come back from his ‘multiple’ accidents. Always wondered what driving experience Flintoff or McGuinness were given throughout the series, obviously in saying that accidents can happen.