Top Gear’s Freddie Flintoff has been left stunned after discovering his great grandfather was a car thief.
The cricketer, 43, was left speechless when told his relative was a criminal in the latest series of ITV’s DNA Journey.
The shocking news was met with laughter from Fred’s A League Of Their Own co-star Jamie Redknapp who was also tracing his family roots for the show.
The pair were told that Freddie’s great grandfather landed himself in the dock after he was arrested for hiring a car then flogging it - not once but twice!
Reacting to the news Freddie said: “I don’t know what to say Jamie.”
Footballer Jamie, 47, replied: “I don’t.”
But Freddie was quick to note that Jamie looked “very smug” with the revelation before admitting: “To be honest with you, I present Top Gear. I don’t really need my great grandfather nicking cars and selling them.”
Jamie then asks what cars were stolen before Freddie quickly interrupts, saying: “It doesn’t matter”.
The pair are the first of eight celebrities to embark on life-changing road trips to find out more about their family histories after the success of Ant and Dec’s DNA Journey which led to the TV duo being told they were related to each other.
Appearing on This Morning to talk about the new series, Freddie told hosts Phillip Schofield and Holly Willoughby that he was "a little bit apprehensive" with what he may find after agreeing to appear on the show.
And he believes that what he found may help to explain some of his behaviour over the years.
Flintoff, who retired from cricket in 2009, was no stranger to controversy during his career.
In 2007 he was suspended and stripped of the vice-captaincy after being rescued at sea after capsizing a pedalo at the Cricket World Cup when the team were beaten by New Zealand.
In 2015 while appearing on the Aussie version of I’m A Celebrity…Get Me Out of Here! Freddie revealed he snuck into the Prime Minister’s office on a drunken trip to No10 to celebrate England’s 2005 Ashes win before “p*****g” in the garden.
Freddie said: "The more we went into it...I think Jamie describes it as the rascal gene and it's probably quite prevalent in both our families and it explains a bit of my behaviour I suppose over the years.
"You know your immediate family and then you go tracing back and it helps you explain probably why you are the way you are as well."
In tonight's show Flintoff also discovers a royal connection at the Wakefield Mining Museum while Redknapp is dealt a bombshell in east London - a notorious mystery that has remained unsolved for generations...until now.
Then when the lads visit Tottenham Hotspur to find a family link they are stunned by another revelation.
Freddie admitted he had hoped he would discover that he was related to Jamie - just like Ant and Dec.
"We wanted to find out more about our family histories but I got to spend two weeks with Jamie as well," said Freddie.
"I had my fingers crossed that we were related but look at the two of us…there’s not a chance I’m related to him. He’s beautiful.”
Jamie added: "Without saying too much, there are some amazing stories.
"It was quite traumatic for me. It wasn't what I expected and my dad is going to be shocked by the outcome.
"There were tears and we laughed. I'm so pleased we did it.
"I can't wait for my family to see, it especially my mum. as we find out something about her side of the family."
DNA Journey is on ITV tonight at 9pm
