Andrew Flintoff, the former cricket star from England, opened up about the tough battle he’s been facing with his mental health following a terrible car accident while filming Top Gear. In a chat with Mike Atherton, a fellow ex-cricketer, Flintoff shared that dealing with the aftermath of the crash in 2022, where he suffered severe injuries to his face, has been a serious struggle for him.
The 47-year-old talked about how difficult it was for him to step back into the public eye after the incident. He recounted a morning in 2023 when he started working as an assistant coach for the national team. That day turned out to be quite a challenge for him. He admitted that it took him ten attempts just to leave his hotel room in Cardiff because he was overwhelmed with anxiety. He said, “I couldn’t get out of the room.
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Eventually, he did manage to head down for breakfast, where he found some comfort in chatting with fellow players Reece Topley and Jos Buttler. Even something as simple as heading to breakfast felt like a huge leap for him. In a moment that caused him additional stress, he mentioned he had to go back to his room to grab his baseball mitt and while waiting for the elevator, he heard footsteps from behind. It turned out to be Ben Stokes, the England captain, whom he didn’t know well at the time. Just standing in the lift with him filled Flintoff with anxiety.
Once in the dressing room, he felt a bit more at ease when Joe Root approached him. Flintoff described Root as one of the kindest people you’d ever meet, and the warm reception he received from the whole team made a world of difference. With time, Flintoff began to feel more comfortable, even enjoying a moment sitting on the balcony where he was photographed. He mentioned that the press was quite nice to him too, showing how a traumatic event can shift one’s outlook.
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The accident itself was serious; Flintoff was driving a Morgan Super 3, a three-wheeled sports car, when it rolled over and crashed off the Top Gear test track. The car can reach speeds of up to 130mph, and he wasn’t wearing a helmet when it flipped. As a result, he ended up with severe facial injuries and broken ribs, which left physical and mental marks.
When talking about his scars from the accident, he expressed, It’s always going to be there, but in a strange way, I’ve got an acceptance of it now. I’m not fighting it. He acknowledged that even now, he still experiences flashbacks and bouts of anxiety, but he sees it as part of his journey and is learning to accept what happened.
Flintoff hung up his cricket bat in 2010 at the young age of 31, having played in 79 Test matches from 1998 to 2009. After the car crash, he began helping with the England Under-19s and was later named head coach for the England Lions in September 2024, marking a meaningful return to cricket.
