Marketing Manager - Bridge Classic Cars
The BBC has announced that filming of series 34 of Top Gear has been halted following Freddie Flintoff’s crash back in December. The accident happened while Freddie was driving a Morgan Super 3 which is an open-top 3-wheeled sports car.
Although this doesn’t mean Top Gear is no more, it certainly indicates that a likely outcome of the situation is the program no longer being made. The BBC has said that a final decision on how best to continue will be made later in the year.
Freddie was hospitalised after the accident and is reported to have suffered broken ribs and facial injuries. The show has been in the news several times over the years due to presenters getting injured – most notably, former presenter Richard Hammond’s 2006 crash while driving a jet-powered car at around 300mph. Richard suffered a frontal lobe brain injury and was in a coma before eventually recovering. However, the TV personality has indicated that he still suffers some side effects from the injuries he sustained in the accident.
A Health and Safety review will take place before any final plans are made but it would appear that something needs to change to prevent even more serious incidents from occurring.
Top Gear has been an incredibly popular show for the BBC and has versions of it made in countries all over the world. If it does indeed end up being axed, it would likely be a tough decision for the broadcaster to make.
In a statement, the BBC said “Under the circumstances, we feel it would be inappropriate to resume making series 34.”
“We have sincerely apologised to Freddie and will continue to support him with his recovery.”
“We understand this will be disappointing for fans, but it is the right thing to do, and we’ll make a judgement about how best to continue later this year.”
It would be a shame for many people if this does prove to be the end for Top Gear. Hopefully, an alternative solution can be found but, for now, at least, Top Gear is on hold indefinitely.
