FREDDIE Flintoff has revealed his son, 2, wouldn’t go near him after horror Top Gear crash.
The former professional cricketer was badly injured during the crash during filming for the BBC1 show at Dunsfold Aerodrome with co-presenters Chris Harris and Paddy McGuinness.
The father of four, who’s been married to wife Rachael for 20 years, got in the three-wheeled Morgan supercar which overturned on the track.
It dragged his face along the ground as it travelled at around 40 to 45 mph, cutting open the side of his nose, cheek and lips as well as shattering his jawbone and teeth.
The trauma left him not only physically injured but also mentally and he says it turned him into a “snappy mess”.
Speaking on Piers Morgan Uncensored, Freddie said: “I suffer from PTSD, I have flashbacks and nightmares, but I’ve probably got more of an acceptance of them now.
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“But I suppose that the biggest thing it did do, was brought me back to cricket. Family and friends and cricket have been things that now, have probably helped me more than anything.”
He added: “(After the crash) I would get snappy and angry.
“The kids were incredible… It was the younger one, Preston, because he would have been about two, two and a half, at the time and he wouldn’t come near me to begin with because I was a mess.
“It’s all good now. But Rachael was strong. I suppose she had to be for both of us.”
Freddie slammed the brakes on his TV career after the accidents, which came shortly before Top Gear was shelved and he reportedly received £9m in compensation from BBC Studios, who make the show.
He has bounced back in the past 12 months, even if it has seen him juggle cricket with a more measured amount of telly work.
Freddie’s made another series of his BBC cricketing show Field of Dreams as well as the upcoming full series of darts gameshow Bullseye for ITV.
He’s also just published a book, Coming Home: The Moments that Made Me, in which he talks about defining sections of his life ranging from private and professional highs to the Top Gear crash.
Watch Freddie’s full interview today on Piers Morgan Uncensored on YouTube.
