Freddie Flintoff ‘defects to ITV’ as BBC show Field of Dreams is axed

Cricketer-turned-presenter Freddie Flintoff is reportedly leaving the BBC behind – with his hit show Field of Dreams being shelved by the broadcaster.

The Ashes-winning England player won over critics and fans alike with his passion project, which saw him return to his hometown of Preston and try to get working-class teenagers interested in cricket.

But after three seasons, the latest of which saw Flintoff launch three more teams, including one for girls, the show has been axed by the corporation, meaning the 48-year-old has no ongoing work with the broadcaster.

According to reports, he will soon announce new projects with ITV. A source told The Sun: “This is a huge development as when Freddie signed for Top Gear in 2019, he increasingly started to become a face of the BBC.

“Although he wasn’t exclusive to the corporation, by early 2022, he delivered Field Of Dreams for BBC One, and had BBC Two motor renovation show, Chasing Cars, in the pipeline.

“But by 2023, Top Gear had been slapped on ice, and the renovation show is now a distant memory.”

Confirming that Field of Dreams has been axed, a BBC spokesperson told The Independent: “We are incredibly proud of the [Royal Television Society] RTS award-winning series Field Of Dreams and, while there are no current plans for it to return, we want to thank Freddie, producers South Shore and all the contributors for three fantastic series.”

ITV declined to comment. Flintoff has worked with them on a handful of occasions in recent years, fronting a Bullseye revival and popping up as a guest judge on The Masked Singer UK.

Flintoff joined the Top Gear team in 2019 and hosted the show alongside Paddy McGuinness and Chris Harris, until a horrific accident on set led to the show being halted in 2022.

Flintoff was driving a three-wheeled car at more than 100mph when the vehicle flipped and skidded down a track at Surrey’s Dunsfold Park Aerodrome, leaving him with broken ribs and severe facial injuries that required extensive surgery.

He has since spoken candidly about the impact the crash had on his mental health. The presenter spent months out of the public eye while having multiple operations and facing severe anxiety.

Speaking in a heartbreaking Disney+ documentary about the crash and his recovery, Flintoff admitted: “Part of me wishes I had been killed.”

“After the accident, I didn’t think I had it in me to get through,” the sportsman said. “This sounds awful: part of me wishes I had been killed. Part of me thinks, ‘I wish I had died’.

“I didn’t want to kill myself – don’t mistake the two things – but I was thinking: ‘This would have been so much easier’.”

The BBC reached a £9m settlement with Flintoff over the accident.