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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
Entertainment
Susan Knox

Freddie Flintoff's family life with wife and four kids as son breaks silence on crash

Top Gear fans have been sending their love and well wishes towards Freddie Flintoff 's beloved wife and kids following the news that the former cricketer was involved in a high-speed crash while filming for the BBC show.

Freddie, 45, is said to have been shooting an episode for the hit BBC series at Dunsfold Park Aerodrome before the incident.

The much-loved star was reportedly injured as he told the BBC cameras his opinion of the car for the show's review segment, however sources have claimed his injuries were 'not life-threatening'.

His co-star Chris Harris - who presents the show alongside the former cricketer and Paddy McGuinness - was also at the Top Gear test track.

A source told The Sun : "Freddie is in hospital after a crash on Top Gear. He was driving on the track as normal. He wasn't going at high speeds - it was just an accident that could happen to anyone.

Freddie shares four children with his wife, Rachael (Cricket Australia via Getty Images)

"All the usual health and safety measures were in place for filming too. Freddie was taken to hospital by air ambulance shortly afterwards. His injuries are not life-threatening and he is receiving treatment. Filming has been postponed for now and all anyone cares about is Freddie recovering."

Following the shock news that Freddie had be be airlifted to the hospital after the crash, fans have poured love towards his wife, Rachael Wools Flintoff, after their son Corey, 16, revealed that Rachael rushed to be by her husband's bedside after the crash.

Freddie's second eldest son, Corey, 16, has now broken his silence on his dad's crash.

Corey said his family have been left 'shocked' after his dad was airlifted to hospital.

Freddie's second eldest son, Corey, now 16, has now broken his silence on his dad's crash (aflintoff11/Instagram)
Freddie and Rachael have an incredible love story and have been married since they tied the knot in Knightsbridge, in London, in 2005 (PA)

The teen says his mother had raced to be beside the former cricket star's hospital bed when their family heard the news.

He told MailOnline: "He's OK. I'm not too sure what happened but he is lucky to be alive. It was a pretty nasty crash. It is shocking. We are all shocked but just hope he's going to be OK."

Former model and entrepreneur Rachael, 40, first met sports star Freddie in 2002 at the Edgbaston cricket ground in Birmingham while at an event to promote her business.

The pair fell head over heels for one another, and after three years of dating, they tied the knot in 2005 at the Pavilion Road Hotel in Knighstbridge, London.

Freddie and Rachael share four kids together (Richard Young/REX)
Rachael rushed to be by Freddie's bedside after his accident (Phil Harris)

The lovebirds now live together in a £2.5 million home in Altrincham, Manchester, with their four children, Holly, 17, Corey, 16, Rocky, 13 and Preston, 2.

While Freddie has a stellar career and joyous family life, the former cricketer has also battled many demons.

In recent years, Freddie has been open about his battle with depression - insisting that his beloved wife Rachael helped him through some of the darkest times of his life.

Freddie first revealed he suffered with depression during the 2006-7 Ashes whitewash in Australia, and admitted he was drinking too much during the 2007 World Cup.

Freddie with wife Rachael and children Holly, Corey and Rocky (Getty)

Speaking in the BBC1 documentary Freddie Flintoff: Hidden Side Of Sport, he revealed: "I was having a quiet drink with my dad Colin on Christmas Eve 2006 [having already lost the Ashes] and as we made our way home I started crying my eyes out.

“I told him I'd tried my best but that I couldn't do it any more, I couldn't keep playing.

"We talked and, of course, I dusted myself down and carried on. But I was never the same player again. I was captain of England and financially successful. I didn't want to get out of bed, never mind face people."

Since the news of his latest crash, fans have sent out 'prayers' for Freddie - but it's not the first time he has been involved in a high-speed smash while filming Top Gear.

Freddie Flintoff was been airlifted to hospital after suffering a 'terrifying' crash while filming an episode of the BBC show Top Gear (BBC Studios/ Lee Brimble)

Back in 2020, the sports personality was nearly killed when he crashed while racing at the astonishing speed of 124mph before losing control.

The 45-year-old was driving a motorised trike, called a Time Bandit, that required him to lie down on his front, head on with the road at York’s Elvington Airfield when he overshot the track.

Top Gear camera crew and co-hosts Paddy McGuinness and Chris Harris watched in horror as Freddie misjudged the runway, spinning off in a cloud of dust.

He was competing in a drag race against co-hosts Chris Harris and Paddy McGuinness, who were driving a Nissan GTR and a converted garden shed respectively.

Released headcam footage shows Flintoff careering on to a grassy stretch at the end of the airfield near York.

Freddie presents Top Gear alongside Chris Harris and Paddy McGuinness (BBC Studios/Alexander Rhind)

"I can't stop - I'm out of runway," he shouts to his co-stars in the terrifying footage.

Speaking following his crash, Flintoff said he was 'absolutely fine'

He added: "I go to great lengths to make sure I do well in Top Gear drag races but on this occasion I went a few lengths too far! It will look more ridiculous than dangerous when you see it on TV."

Freddie has garnered much attention over the years thanks to his stellar sporting career and cheeky chap persona.

Freddie has garnered much attention over the years thanks to his stellar sporting career (BBC/ South Shore/Ross Cooke)

The former international cricketer played all forms of the game and was one of the sport's leading all-rounders - fast bowler, middle-order batsman and slip fielder.

He debuted in 1998 and retired from professional cricket officially in 2009.

Since then, he has appeared in a string of television shows such as Top Gear and A League of Their Own, and will tonight once again grace British screens with Freddie Flintoff’s Field of Dreams.

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