Freddie Flintoff departed screens for a while following his horrific crash while filming Top Gear. The former cricket star has returned with series like Field of Dreams, but in his latest show, Freddie, the star will explore the impact of the crash on him.
The major crash didn't just have an impact, but also on his family, with them reportedly urging the star to take a step back following the accident. The Sun reported at the time: "As a loving husband and dad he understands the fear his family feel about what's happened, knowing that he could have been killed."
© GettyThe family of six live in Hale, Greater Manchester in a £5.25 million mansion. The former athlete purchased the property in July 2021 from friend and fellow sports star Phil Neville upon his move to the US to become manager for David Beckham's Inter Miami team.
Children
Freddie and Rachael have four children together. Their first baby was a daughter, Holly, born in 2004. Shortly after they welcomed Corey, and then another son, Rocky, in 2008. Growing up, Holly was incredibly close to her father, with Rachael once saying: "She misses him when he's away, but she makes up for it by carrying around a photograph of him – when she has a tea party for her dolls, she puts the picture on a chair, so daddy can be there too.
In April 2020, the pair then announced that they had welcomed their fourth child, another boy, the previous Christmas. Freddie even revealed that they named their youngest Preston in tribute to the Lancashire city that Freddie grew up in.
© InstagramAt the time he told talkSPORT: "Little Preston was born at Christmas - it is the first time I've actually spoken about it. But yeah, we have got another baby and it has been nice spending time with him." Freddie first announced his wife's pregnancy in October after Rachael revealed her bump at the Attitude Awards.
The couple's baby may have come as a welcomed surprise after the Top Gear host previously admitted that he didn't think he and Rachael would have any more children after welcoming Rocky. In 2016, he told The Sun: "We thought about it. I originally wanted five but you have three and that felt like enough. I couldn't go back to the nappy stage now."
Meanwhile, Freddie's sons Corey and Rocky are following in his sporty footsteps. The 19-year-old is a cricketer who has overtaken his dad as the record-holder for Lancashire seconds, while Rocky is the youngest player to score a century for the England Under-19s team.
Corey also spoke out about his father's accident, saying: "He's OK. I'm not too sure what happened but he is lucky to be alive. It was a pretty nasty crash. It is shocking. We are all shocked but just hope he's going to be OK."
© ShutterstockWhile the star typically tends to keep his family out of the spotlight, he did pose for this sweet family photo with his wife Rachael and their three children during the Brisbane Heat Big Bash League event back in December 2016.
© GettyWhat has Freddie Flintoff said about his family in the past?
Freddie usually likes to keep his family life away from the spotlight, however the former England Cricketer did reveal that becoming a father made him a better sportsman. Just one year after his daughter Holly was born in 2004, Freddie made history with the 2005 Ashes victory over Australia.
"My career at the time, I started doing really well," he told the First Time Dads podcast. "Everyone said that couldn't happen, but it put everything into perspective. I actually got better."
© GettyHe added: "You start thinking, 'You know what? I'm dressed in whites, we're chucking a ball around and trying to hit it.' Although it WAS the most important thing, it now isn't. It frees you up, especially with batting. I started scoring a lot of runs because I wasn't bothered about getting out."
