Freddie Flintoff says speaking to Top Gear co-stars 'triggers' him amid fallout speculation

The events that followed saw the popular motoring show put to rest by the BBC, along with Flintoff stepping out of the public eye for over six months.

But amid his recovery, a flurry of speculation arose regarding his friendship with his former co-stars, after McGuinness revealed he hadn't spoken with Flintoff for a while.

In the documentary, Flintoff puts those rumours to bed, opening up about where he stands with the pair now in an emotionally candid admission.

Asked where he stood with Harris and McGuinness, Freddie explained that they had "been in contact" and he had seen Harris recently.

"When we hugged each other, he got upset, I got a bit upset, it was really nice to see him," he told director John Dower.

He continued: "I feel bad I haven't been more in contact with him and Paddy. I think there [were] some comments from Paddy a while ago saying I hadn’t spoken to him, I hadn’t done this, that and the other.

"Part of it is for myself a little bit, I hate the word triggering, but I'm worried about that."

Flintoff reflected on the show coming to a halt after his crash, noting that he feels "bad" for Harris and McGuinness's careers being "altered" as a consequence.

"What happens get dragged up enough in my own head without adding to that," Flintoff said.

In November 2023, it was confirmed that Top Gear would not be returning "for the foreseeable future", with the BBC deciding to "rest the UK show".

At the time, the BBC said in a statement: "[It] remains committed to Freddie, Chris and Paddy, who have been at the heart of the show's renaissance since 2019, and we're excited about new projects being developed with each of them. We will have more to say in the near future on this.

"We know resting the show will be disappointing news for fans, but it is the right thing to do. All other Top Gear activity remains unaffected by this hiatus, including international formats, digital, magazines and licensing."

Since then, McGuinness and Harris have continued to work together on their BBC series Paddy and Chris: Road Tripping.

In the series, the duo embarked on a road trip around Europe in a bid to unlock secrets and ideas about living life to the fullest.

It marked the first on-screen gig between the pair since Top Gear came to an end, but had no attachment to the motoring programme.

n 2023, Flintoff reached a £9 million compensation settlement with BBC Studios – the broadcaster's commercial division – which was not paid using licence fee money (via BBC News).

"BBC Studios has reached an agreement with Freddie that we believe supports his continued rehabilitation, return to work and future plans," the company said at the time. "We have sincerely apologised to Freddie and will continue to support him with his recovery."

Flintoff is available to stream on Disney+ from Friday 25th April 2025.

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