Flintoff returns to BBC with Field of Dreams show

Andrew "Freddie" Flintoff is making his TV return after his Top Gear accident with a second series of BBC One cricket documentary, Field of Dreams.

The news, announced in the BBC's annual plan, says Flintoff will be seen taking his young sports team – who hail from his home city of Preston – on tour.

The BBC had previously stated they were working with him on "new projects".

Its Top Gear show will not return for the "foreseeable future" after Flintoff was hurt during filming in 2022.

The BBC had previously announced in October 2022 that a second series of Field of Dreams had been commissioned but there were no further updates given following Flintoff's accident two months later.

It's not yet known when the new series will air.

The first series aired in July 2022.

Described by the New Statesman's Rachel Cooke as "the most moving thing I've seen on TV in years", it saw Flintoff determined to get a group of Preston teenagers to become motivated and engaged in his beloved sport, with plenty of ups and downs along the way.

In the original press release about the second series, the BBC said: "Freddie is setting himself an even bigger challenge as he takes some of his team and a handful of fresh recruits on a new adventure." adding that there would be four episodes.

The presenter was injured at Top Gear's test track at Dunsfold Park Aerodrome in Surrey.

Flintoff reached a settlement with the BBC last year, reportedly worth £9m. The payout will not be funded by the TV licence fee, as BBC Studios is a commercial arm of the broadcaster.

The BBC apologised to Flintoff in March 2023 over his injuries, as it announced a health and safety review of the show. It was expected to be undertaken by an independent third party.

It reiterated that apology in October when the compensation for Flintoff was announced.

Flintoff was pictured for the first time since the accident in September, as he led fielding drills with England players in Cardiff ahead of the team's one-day international with New Zealand.

More recent photos have shown that his injuries have continued to heal.

The 45-year-old former England captain retired from cricket in 2009 having played 79 Tests, 141 one-day internationals and seven T20s.

He joined BBC One's Top Gear as a host in 2019 alongside Paddy McGuinness and Chris Harris. Their most recent series attracted an average audience of 4.5 million viewers.