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Freddie Flintoff's Top Gear crash passenger sues BBC Studios after cricketer won 9m

A passenger in the car that former Top Gear presenter Andrew 'Freddie' Flintoff was driving when he was involved in a horror crash is now suing BBC Studios for personal injury. The former cricketer was awarded 9million in 2023

[Andrew Flintoff of Northern Superchargers walks off the field before The Hundred Eliminator match between Trent Rockets Men and Northern Superchargers Men at The Kia Oval on August 30, 2025 in London, England. ]

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Freddie Flintoff was involved in a car accident during filming(Image: Philip Brown/Getty Images)

A racing driver involved in Freddie Flintoff's near-fatal car crash while filming Top Gear is suing BBC Studios. The horror incident left former cricketer Flintoff with life-changing injuries in 2022, as he suffered broken and lost teeth, and fractures to the upper jawbone and injuries to his ribs.

The open-topped Morgan Super 3 the ex-sports star was driving overturned at Top Gear's test track at Dunsfold Park Aerodrome in Surrey. In 2023, Flintoff reached a compensation settlement with the BBC for a reported 9million and Top Gear was rested by the broadcaster.

But now, Paul Rees, who it has now been revealed was Flintoff's passenger in the vehicle, is also seeking compensation. He is looking for up to 150,000 for personal injury from the organisation.

[Freddie Flintoff was involved in a horror crash while filming for Top Gear]

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Freddie Flintoff was involved in a horror crash while filming for Top Gear(Image: Disney+)

According to court documents shared by the BBC, Rees was giving the presenter driving advice from the passenger seat. It was previously not publicly known that anyone else had been in the open-topped three-wheeled vehicle with Flintoff when it overturned.

In a legal response, BBC Studio said Rees did not complain of any injuries at the time or after the crash. The company also denied it was negligent "as alleged or at all" and said Rees' "faulty instructions" led to the accident, according to the organisation.

According to the available court documents, there were microphones in the car, and BBC Studios said Flintoff expressed concern at one point. It's said the car's front wheel lifted as he took a corner, but the presenter was allegedly reassured by Rees that it could not roll over.

BBC Studios' defence filings said that when Flintoff was approaching the same corner again, Rees told the star to "now turn right... now full power, full power". It's claimed in the document that "a front wheel lifted and because on the claimant's instruction the presenter continued to apply power the Morgan turned over".

[Paul Rees]

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Paul Rees is suing BBC Studios(Image: instagram/ paulreesracing)

[Andrew 'Freddie' Flintoff at the premiere of his documentary]

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Andrew 'Freddie' Flintoff spoke about his injuries on his documentary(Image: GETTY)

The court document also reported: "At no time in the period after the accident did the claimant suggest that he had suffered any injury in the accident."

BBC Studios released a statement saying: "We dispute this claim and are defending it. As it's now before the courts, it would be inappropriate to comment further."

BBC News said it had seen Rees' claim form filed in December 2025 but not yet his full claim to report the details.

In a Disney+ documentary last year, as he reflected on his life-changing accident, Flintoff admitted he thought he was dead after the crash. He said: "I thought I was dead, because I was conscious but I couldn't see anything. I was thinking, is that it? Is that it? You know what I mean?

"Just black for the rest of my days? My hat came over my eyes - so I pulled my hat up and I thought, no I'm not [dead], I'm on the Top Gear track, this is not heaven."

Surgeon Jahrad Haq, who treated the former sports star admitted on the documentary the injuries were "very complex".

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