Freddie Flintoff demanded footage of Top Gear crash from BBC

"It's a movie in my head," he says in the documentary as he recalls the crash. "I've watched it as well, [the] in-car footage. I've seen it. I demanded it. I wanted validation for myself. This is why I'm feeling that. This is why I'm so bad."

On why he wanted to see the moment for himself, Freddie explained that this was down to his cricketing days where he would often visualise parts of the game to help him.

He continued: "Because I was injured so many times, I couldn't really practise bowling. So I developed a way of practising in my head. I didn't just see myself bowling, I could feel it, I could smell it. I could feel how it felt, even the ball leaving my hand.

"Problem is, when you relate it to this, even the memories of it are real. To the point where now I'm talking about it and I'm getting a bit jittery and I can feel the pain in this side of my face. It's like a bit of a curse really."

Recalling the crash, Flintoff said: "It was a three-wheeler. There's a reinforced windscreen and a bar, which was about half of my back, so I'm exposed. [I was] probably doing about a 40 or 45. They were showing me how to get the car going sideways, and the wheel came up at the front.

"It's a funny thing rolling a car, because there's a point of no return and everything slows down... If you play cricket, with the bat you get point-four seconds to make your mind up where the ball is going and what shot you're going to play. Are you going to move your feet?

"And as it started going over, I looked to the ground and I'd either get hit on the side and I break my neck. And the best chance is [to] go face down."

Following the crash, the motoring show was confirmed to not be returning for the foreseeable future as the broadcaster "decided to rest" the series.

Read more:

• Freddie Flintoff says speaking to Top Gear co-stars 'triggers' him amid fallout speculation
• Freddie Flintoff details extent of injuries as he remembers moment of crash: 'Part of me thinks I should've died’

The following year, Flintoff reached a reported £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 now available to stream on Disney+. Sign up to Disney+ from £4.99 a month or £89.90 for a year.

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