FRESH details have emerged on why the BBC decided to "rest" Top Gear following Freddie Flintoff's horror crash.
Former England cricket captain Freddie, 45, was rushed to hospital after the 124mph crash at the Top Gear test track in Surrey last December.
The BBC announced earlier this week that the hit motoring show would be rested for the “foreseeable future”.
Now, a source has claimed that insurance costs for potentially dangerous stunts have rocketed to unsustainable levels.
It comes as Flintoff reached a settlement with the BBC said to be worth £9million.
An insider told the Telegraph: “The insurance costs are through the roof.
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“They were already pretty high, but after the payout … no-one is going to want to do that, unless they’re charging more than the BBC can pay.”
Flintoff's crash last December – which saw him only narrowly escape death – is just the latest in a series to mar the BBC motoring show.
Former presenter Richard Hammond also cheated death in a crash that left him put in an induced coma while filming back in 2006.
“They were bad – what if the next one is worse? So the other option is to cut the stunts,” the source added.
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Freddie suffered severe injuries to his jaw as well as broken ribs after the roofless high-speed, three-wheel car he was driving flipped and slid along a track.
In a statement given to the PA news agency, the BBC added that they were planning a new project with Flintoff after months of speculation.
They said: “Given the exceptional circumstances, the BBC has decided to rest the UK show for the foreseeable future.
“The BBC remains committed to Freddie, Chris [Harris] and Paddy [McGuinness ] who have been at the heart of the show’s renaissance since 2019, and we’re excited about new projects being developed with each of them.
“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.
“All other Top Gear activity remains unaffected by this hiatus including international formats, digital, magazines and licensing.”
Filming for the show Flintoff co-presents with Paddy McGuinness and automotive journalist Chris Harris was halted since the crash 11 months ago.
Following the crash, the BBC announced at the time that continuing filming would be “inappropriate”, adding there would be a health and safety review.
The brave star's facial injuries were visible while he helped out the England cricket team in training this summer.
The payout will come from the commercial arm of the BBC and not from the licence fee.
The UK show is currently sold to more 150 territories and there are 11 local format versions including in the United States, France and Finland.
Freddie has since landed a new role almost a year on from surviving the horror crash.
The England cricket legend has been named head coach of the Northern Superchargers men's Hundred franchise.
Flintoff will join England Lions coaching staff for next month's training camp in the United Arab Emirates.
Meanwhile, The Superchargers are one of eight teams competing in The Hundred, a franchise tournament launched in 2021.
They opted against renewing James Foster's contract, with Flintoff set to succeed him as the new men's head coach in 2024.
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