Paddy McGuinness breaks silence after Freddie Flintoff said it was ‘triggering’ to see him following Top Gear crash amid rumours he is angry injured star got payout
Paddy McGuinness has broken his silence following Andrew Flintoff’s admission that he hasn’t spoken to his former Top Gear co-host since his horror crash.
Flintoff, a former England captain, suffered serious injuries when filming for the BBC TV show Top Gear in December 2022, with a documentary released on Disney+ this week detailing his experiences and recovery.
The cricket legend turned presenter had been driving a Morgan Super 3 three-wheeled sports car, which flipped and dragged him across the tarmac of Dunsfold Aerodrome in Surrey.
The vehicle had no airbags and the crash left Flintoff with severe facial injuries and several broken ribs.
Flintoff received a £9m payout from the BBC following the crash, with the star having since criticised the corporation for treating him ‘like a piece of meat’ on Top Gear in a bid to attract more TV viewers.
Within the 98-minute programme, Flintoff revealed that he has barely spoken to McGuiness and Harris, despite having an extremely close bond with the pair while on the show.
Andrew Flintoff opened up on his relationship with Top Gear co-stars Paddy McGuinness and Chris Harris in a new documentary
Flintoff (pictured in 2018) revealed he has barely spoken to McGuiness or Harris
Now, though, McGuinness has opened up on his relationship with Flintoff, nicknamed Freddie, admitting his love for his former co-star, according to the Mirror.
‘I love Fred. He’s a good lad. The mad thing about me getting on with him so well is that I know absolutely zero about cricket. I’ve never watched it, never been into it and never played it. I knew of Freddie and Ian Botham and Michael Vaughan… the famous names.
‘Me, Fred and Chris [Harris] everyday we worked together we just laughed. It was such a lovely experience. It was one of those jobs for me, as someone who wasn’t well travelled to visit the places we did in Top Gear and go off the beaten track.
‘It was only when I reflect on the things we did that I think what a privilege it is to have done that job. Freddie and I still message. But everyone’s got busy lives.
‘It’s like with every show I do, you work with people and you keep in touch but no one lives near everyone. It’s like lightning in a bottle getting everyone together.’
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