The future of Top Gear hangs in the balance after the BBC announced it had paused filming of the latest series.
The decision follows a health and safety review into an accident last year which injured co-host Andrew ‘Freddie’ Flintoff. In a statement released by the BBC, they say that it would be “inappropriate” to resume filming series 34.
Flintoff joined the iconic motoring show in 2019 alongside Paddy McGuinness and Chris Harris. The incident last December was not the first time he’d been involved in a crash while filming for the show. He walked away unharmed in 2019 when he crashed during a drag race at an airfield in Yorkshire.
BBC Statement:
“We have sincerely apologised to Freddie and will continue to support him with his recovery. We understand this [halting the show] will be disappointing for fans, but it is the right thing to do, and we’ll make a judgement about how best to continue later this year.”
The BBC has refused to comment on a report in The Times newspaper Friday that the 45-year-old presenter is set to quit the show. The current line-up of Flintoff, McGuinness and Harris has been welcomed by fans of the show, which struggled when long-time hosts Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond and James May exited in 2015 following Clarkson’s sacking.
