The BBC has announced that it will stop airing the popular car show Top Gear for the foreseeable future, following a serious accident involving one of its presenters, Andrew “Freddie” Flintoff, last year.

What Happened to Freddie Flintoff?

In December 2020, while filming a stunt for Top Gear, Freddie Flintoff, a former England cricket captain and one of the current hosts of the show, was involved in a fast-paced accident. While at the test track in Surrey, England, he was driving a modified three-wheeled vehicle when he lost control and hit the wall.

He sustained serious injuries to his face and was subsequently taken to the hospital for numerous operations. His legal team claimed he suffered life-changing injuries to the spine, neck, and brain. Reports indicate that he agreed to settle with the BBC for $11.3 million for the injury and his career.

BBC - Top Gear Show - Old Cast

How Did the BBC Respond?

The BBC stopped the 34th season of Top Gear production and commissioned a comprehensive safety and health review of the show. The BBC stated that the findings of the review were not published.

The BBC announced on Tuesday that it has suspended the U.K. show for now due to those unique circumstances. The broadcaster also stated that it was looking forward to joint ventures with Top Gear presenters like Freddie Flintoff, Paddy McGuinness, and Chris Harris.

“We will have more to say in the near future on this. We know resting the show will be disappointing news for fans, but it is the right thing to do,” the BBC said.

What Is the Future of Top Gear?

Top Gear is one of the most profitable and famous shows on the BBC, boasting a vast number of fans globally and a history that extends beyond four decades. This show started in 1977 as a regional program about cars and road safety but was re-launched in 2002 with a new format and main presenters such as Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond, and James May.

The show consists of various elements, including:

Car reviews
Challenges
Races
Celebrity interviews
Humorous and adrenalin-filled road trips

It has also produced multiple offshoots, including Top Gear US, Top Gear Australia, and Top Gear France.

There have been several reports about the safety measures of the show. For instance, Richard Hammond ended up in a coma for two weeks due to an incident involving one of his vehicles speeding over 419 km/h at Yorkshire Airfield after crashing during a Top Gear stunt in 2006.

Top Gear Show Stopped

The show’s personnel and format have been modified on numerous occasions due to contractual disputes, controversies, and ratings. However, the greatest change occurred in 2015, after an assault on a colleague. Jeremy Clarkson was fired by the BBC, leading to the exit of his co-hosts Richard Hammond and James May. They subsequently launched the Grand Tour, a car program on Amazon Prime Video.

BBC did not indicate if Top Gear would return or if it would continue producing and airing spin-offs and foreign replicas of the show. The BBC reported that the most recent season, which aired in 2020, attracted about 4.5 million viewers, generating annual profits amounting to approximately £20 million in 2015.

Conclusion

Over the past four decades, Top Gear has entertained and educated countless individuals across the globe. However, the show has been overshadowed by scandals, accidents, and changes that have affected its quality and ratings. Currently, the BBC is on hold due to the latest accident involving Freddie Flintoff, leaving fans uncertain about the show's future. While Top Gear may reappear on screens in the future, it is unclear when that will happen.

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