The Stig from Top Gear says BBC should not halt the show over accident that led Freddie Flintoff to quit
- Top Gear’s original Stig says BBC should not halt production after Freddie crash
- Freddie Flintoff quit the show after 130mph car flipped over in December
- READ MORE: Top Gear faces being ‘reined in’ if it returns after Flintoff crash
The original Stig from Top Gear has said the BBC should not halt the show’s production over the accident that resulted in Andrew ‘Freddie’ Flintoff quitting as a presenter.
Perry McCarthy, who played the first incarnation of the mysterious helmet-clad racing driver, said the BBC should instead learn from its investigation, after the corporation announced ‘it would be inappropriate to resume’ filming series 34.
Top Gear’s high-speed and high adrenaline stunts face being tamed after Flintoff, 45, left his role as co-host following an accident while filming at a test track on December 13 last year.
Reports suggested the former cricketer was ‘lucky to be alive’ after the car he was driving – an open-topped three-wheel 130mph Morgan Super 3 which doesn’t have air bags – flipped over at Dunsfold Aerodrome in Surrey. He was airlifted to hospital with facial injuries and broken ribs.
Filming on the series was suspended while Flintoff, who presents the show alongside Paddy McGuinness and Chris Harris, recovered from his injuries and investigations took place. The BBC are now considering if the show will continue this year amid a health and safety review.
The original Stig from Top Gear has said the BBC should not halt the show’s production over the accident that resulted in Andrew ‘Freddie’ Flintoff (pictured on a motorised trike for a previous series) quitting as a presenter
Flintoff did not tell his family about stunts he was part of in the show, as he didn’t want them to worry. Pictured: Flintoff (second-left) poses wife Rachael (centre) and children Holly (right) , Corey (left) and Rocky (right) in Brisbane, Australia in 2014
Reports suggested the former cricketer was ‘lucky to be alive’ after the car he was driving – an open-topped three-wheel 130mph Morgan Super 3 (pictured) which doesn’t have air bags – flipped over at Dunsfold Aerodrome in Surrey on December 13 last year
READ MORE: Top Gear faces being ‘reined in’ by the BBC with stunts dialled down if it is to return after crash that led to Freddie Flintoff quitting and filming halted
On Friday, McCarthy told BBC Radio 4’s World At One programme: ‘(The) thing in my mind is I’ve got no idea why they’re now looking to cancel filming because they’ve had an accident.
‘What they should be doing is actually learning from that and implementing some better safety procedures.’
On December 13 last year, former professional cricketer Flintoff was taken to hospital after being involved in the incident while filming the series at the Top Gear test track at Dunsfold Aerodrome in Surrey.
A statement from BBC Studios said that there will be a health and safety review of the show, ‘in line with our procedures’.
It also said: ‘We have sincerely apologised to Freddie and will continue to support him with his recovery. Under the circumstances, we feel it would be inappropriate to resume making series 34 of Top Gear at this time.
‘We understand this will be disappointing for fans, but it is the right thing to do, and we’ll make a judgment about how best to continue later this year.
‘This has also impacted the production team, who we continue to support.’
McCarthy, who played The Stig until 2003 when he was replaced by racer Ben Collins, also said Top Gear is ‘an expensive show to produce’ and that could be a factor in decision making.
He added: ‘I think there’s always going to be a market for what we call the petrol heads, people who are interested in cars, but there’s also so many opportunities to include new technology.’
McCarthy added that he knows the ‘risks’ on the Surrey track are ‘significantly’ reduced due to having few obstacles.
He also said: ‘So for me, personally, I always feel that there really should be a collar around what you’re expecting from non-professional racing drivers, a TV presenter, you’ve got to protect them from themselves and you’ve also got to protect the show itself.’
Top Gear’s first Stig Perry McCarthy (left), said the BBC should learn from its investigation into the accident
It is understood that a decision about resuming filming on the show, which is also presented by Take Me Out host Paddy McGuinness and automotive journalist Chris Harris, will be made later in the year.
Reports suggested said the father-of-four had decided to leave the programme before the BBC confirmed it was halting filming of the next series, which had been set for release in the autumn.
After the incident his 16-year-old son Corey told MailOnline: ‘He’s OK. I’m not too sure what happened but he is lucky to be alive. It was a pretty nasty crash. It is shocking. We are all shocked but just hope he’s going to be OK.’
The incident was said to have left the cast and crew ‘reeling from the shock’, with concerns over the future of the show which has had a history of serious crashes.
It’s not the first time a presenter of the show has been injured during filming. In 2006, former co-host Richard Hammond, 53, spent two weeks in a coma after crashing in a jet-propelled car, in which he hoped to break the British land speed record, at over 300mph.
He was left with life-changing side effects, including post-traumatic amnesia – and now fears his worsening memory could be dementia caused by the crash.
It comes after it emerged that Flintoff did not tell his family about stunts he was part of in the show, as he didn’t want them to worry.
In an interview Flintoff gave while on the show, he revealed that he kept his stunts a secret from his family until they had aired.
Filming on the series was suspended while Flintoff (left) who presents the show alongside Paddy McGuinness (right) and Chris Harris (centre) recovered from his injuries
‘Sometimes you don’t want to tell the family, you don’t want them going about their day thinking: “Oh is he alright?”, he said.
According to the Mirror, co-host Paddy added: ‘In ours, they see it when it’s on the telly. When you’re doing something like the wall of death, I think if you tell someone that, they’ll put something into your head about how dangerous it is and then you’re thinking about it’.
Earlier this week, the BBC confirmed it had apologised to the presenter, adding that it ‘will continue to support’ Flintoff ‘with his recovery’.
A source has told the Times that Flintoff ‘doesn’t feel like he is able to continue to play that role on the show’.
BBC Studios declined to comment on the 45-year-old former England captain’s return to Top Gear and directed inquiries to the presenter’s representatives, who have also been contacted for comment.
Top Gear crashes through the years
Richard Hammond crashes a Vampire Dragster – 2006
Richard was left fighting for his life after crashing the jet-powered car while going at 288mph as he tested the vehicle at the former RAF Elvington airbase near York. Hammond was completing a seventh and final run in the car when the front-right tyre blew-out and the dragster veered off the runway, rolled over, and Hammond was left with a traumatic head injury and was in a coma for two weeks. In the year following the crash the TV presenter returned to the show and spoke about the crash on the Jonathan Ross Show, but couldn’t remember any of it because of his injuries.
Shocking: Richard was left fighting for his life after crashing the Vampire Dragster while going at 288mph as he tested the vehicle at the former RAF Elvington airbase
Freddie Flintoff crashes a jet trike – 2019
In September, Freddie revealed he suffered a nasty escape after a high speed crash in a jet trike during filming. The cricket star, 45, insisted he was ‘absolutely fine’ after his jet trike careered off the road during a race at the Elvington Airfield near York. Freddie reportedly careered his high speed trike off the road as he filmed the high-speed race. Crew members rushed to Freddie – who was wearing a full motorcycling suit and helmet for the scenes – but he emerged with barely a scratch.
Close call: In September last year, Freddie revealed he suffered a nasty escape after a high speed crash in a jet trike during filming
Paddy McGuinness’ back axle comes off his Pontiac Firebird – 2020
In the latest series of Top Gear, Paddy embarked on the ‘original’ American Road Trip with Freddie and Chris Harris. He arrived in their start point of Peru with a Pontiac Firebird which didn’t have a roof amongst several other problems. When the trio decided to test out their cars on a straight 1/4 mile stretch of road Paddy’s car only got a few yards before the back end of the axle came apart entirely and he was forced to abandon the car.
In the latest series of Top Gear, Paddy was forced to abandon his Pontiac Firebird after the back end of the axle came apart entirely (pictured)
Jeremy Clarkson flips over his Reliant Robin – 2010
In a now famous segment from Top Gear, former presenter Jeremy flipped over a Reliant Robin multiple times. The motorcar journalist was flipping it over to prove that the three-wheeled car could easily tip over. In his Sunday Times driving column Jeremy revealed that he had actually asked crew to tinker with the car ‘so that the poor little thing rolled over every time I turned the steering wheel’.
Flipping heck: In a now famous segment from Top Gear, former presenter Jeremy Clarkson flipped over a Reliant Robin multiple times (pictured)
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