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BBC denies reports Top Gear has been axed

Top Gear presenters Freddie Flintoff, Paddy McGuinness and Chris Harris
Top Gear presenters Freddie Flintoff, Paddy McGuinness and Chris Harris

The BBC has denied reports it has axed long-running motoring show Top Gear after presenter and former cricketer Andrew "Freddie" Flintoff was injured during filming last year.

It was reported on Friday that the BBC has told production staff to look for other work following the incident at the show's test track Dunsfold Aerodrome last December.

A BBC spokesperson told the PA news agency: "A decision on the timing of future Top Gear shows will be made in due course with BBC Content."

Filming for series 34 of Top Gear was halted after the accident, and the BBC said in March that it would be inappropriate to resume making the series at that time following an internal investigation into what happened.

Flintoff's son Corey said at the time he was "lucky to be alive" and described it as a "pretty nasty crash".

Former England cricket captain Flintoff was photographed publicly for the first time since the crash several weeks ago, showing facial injuries received in the accident.

This week, the 45-year-old was filmed on Wednesday speaking publicly in a clip released by England Cricket on social media.

In the video, where he awarded an England cap to spin bowler Tom Hartley, Flintoff said: "They’ll (the England Cricket team) share the good times with you, the successes. But as I found over the past few months, they’ll be there in the hardest times of your life - they will stand next to you."

Source: Press Association

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