Freddie Flintoff believed he was dead in Top Gear crash as he thought 'face had come off'

Freddie Flintoff has opened up in a raw and powerful new Disney+ documentary about his belief that his life was over following a harrowing crash while filming Top Gear. In 2022, Flintoff experienced a terrifying accident that resulted in facial disfigurement. He candidly reveals he shunned public life for half a year.

During an emotional recount of the crash, Freddie disclosed: "I thought I was dead. I was conscious, but I couldn't see anything. I was thinking, 'Is that it?' You know what I mean.



" He further shared the horror of believing his face had been entirely torn off: "My biggest fear was that I didn't have a face, I thought my face had come off. I was frightened to death." Intriguing details of the December 2022 incident have emerged, where Flintoff was rushed to hospital after an accident on the Top Gear set.

Filming with co-stars Paddy McGuinness and Chris Harris at the Dunsfold Aerodrome in Surrey, Freddie encountered disaster in a roofless car. The crash left him choosing between potentially breaking his neck or facing severe facial injuries as his face scraped the track. Former Top Gear presenter and cricketing legend, Freddie has bravely opened up about his severe physical and psychological scars resulting from an array of surgeries to mend extensive scarring that's heavily impacted his life.

Remarkably surviving what could have been a fatal accident, Freddie was initially reported to have sustained injuries that weren't life-threatening. His son Corey, however, recounted the aftermath, saying his dad was "lucky to be alive". In a tear-jerking scene from the documentary, viewers witness Freddie at the hospital for a check-up on his injuries.

While the medical professionals seem pleased with his recovery, Freddie himself expressed frustration, saying, "It winds me up a bit because I don't think I'm happy with it." Although grateful for the medical assistance, the iconic figure disclosed a brutal desire for frankness: "I am appreciative of it, they're both amazing, but they'll never give me what I had back..

. I just want people to be honest and say 'yeah, it is a f***ing mess, isn't it?'" The crash has not only left Freddie with lasting physical reminders but also with mental health struggles that haunt him day by day. "I still live it every day.

I see the car every night when I go to bed. It's so vivid, I have not slept the same since," he shared. Freddie delved deeper, revealing how reliving the accident through car footage became a means to comprehend his trauma: "It's a movie in my head but I've watched it as well in car footage.

I've seen it, I demanded it. I wanted validation for myself, this is why I'm feeling this, this is why I'm so bad." He concluded with poignant candour about how the visceral memories continue to affect him: "The memories are so real to the point where I'm talking about it and I'm getting a bit jittery and I can feel the pain in the side of my face, I can feel the phantom pain.

It's like a curse really." Flintoff airs April 25 on Disney+.