Top Gear presenter Chris Harris has alleged that he previously cautioned BBC executives about potential safety concerns on set, warning that someone could be fatally injured.
Harris, 49, who was present at the scene during Freddie Flintoff’s high-speed crash while filming for Top Gear, expressed his initial belief that Flintoff had not survived the accident.
The incident, which occurred at Dunsfold Aerodrome in Surrey in December 2022, resulted in the 46-year-old former England cricketer sustaining serious facial and rib injuries.
During an appearance on The Joe Rogan Experience podcast, racing driver Chris Harris revealed, “What was never discussed is that three months prior to the accident, I approached the BBC and warned them that unless changes were made, someone could lose their life on the show.”
Harris further stated, “I raised these concerns with the BBC, based on my observations and expertise as the most experienced driver on the show by far.”
Harris continued, “I warned them that if we continued as we were, at best, we’d face a serious injury; at worst, a fatality.”
He expressed concern about the lack of driving experience among his co-hosts, stating, “I repeatedly saw my two co-hosts, who didn’t have the same level of experience in cars as I did. That’s the crucial point.”
Harris emphasized his qualifications, saying, “I was in a position to make those calls because I’ve been doing this for a long time. They weren’t. One is an actor-comedian, and the other a professional cricketer.”
He praised his co-hosts as “brilliant entertainers and great hosts,” but clarified their primary role was comedic, whereas his was to evaluate the performance of cars.
Flintoff, a former cricketer, played for Lancashire and represented England in 79 Tests, 141 one-day internationals, and seven T20s, retiring in 2010 after a successful career.
Flintoff began presenting Top Gear in 2019 and had previously appeared on Sky’s A League Of Their Own and won the first season of the Australian version of I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here!.
Following his accident at the Top Gear test track, Flintoff received a financial settlement from the BBC, which later announced that the show had been “rested” indefinitely.
In September last year, Flintoff joined the England cricket team’s coaching staff in an unofficial, unpaid capacity, making his first public appearance with visible facial injuries. He later rejoined the team’s backroom staff for their T20 series against the West Indies and took on the role of head coach for the Northern Superchargers in The Hundred.
Last month, Flintoff spoke publicly about the crash for the first time, sharing that he had battled anxiety, experienced “nightmares and flashbacks,” and found himself “crying every two minutes” due to the severity of his injuries.
Flintoff also revealed that, for seven months following the accident, he only left his home for medical appointments.
His remarks were made during the BBC documentary Freddie Flintoff’s Field Of Dreams On Tour, in which the 46-year-old took a group of young people from his hometown of Preston on a cricket tour of India.
In the program, speaking about the crash for the first time, Flintoff stated, “I don’t want to sit and feel sorry for myself, I don’t want sympathy, but it’s going from being home for seven months to going to India. As much as I want to do things, I just haven’t been able to. I’m struggling with anxiety, nightmares, flashbacks—it’s been so hard to cope. But I’m thinking, if I don’t do something, I’ll never go. I’ve got to get on with it.”
It was reported earlier this week that Field of Dreams has been renewed for a third season by the BBC, with filming already underway.
