Freddie Flintoff has received an apology, and will receive financial compensation, from the BBC regarding his accident on the set of Top Gear last year.
The crash, which took place at Dunsford Park Aerodrome last December, left Flintoff with injuries that were still visible last month and led to the cancellation of Top Gear's current run of episodes.
Now Flintoff has reached a settlement with BBC Studios, which will reportedly pay Flintoff £9 million (via The Sun). This is based on two years of missed income, both from commitments he has been unable to fulfill (such as Top Gear itself) as well as potential work that never happened due to his injuries.
The settlement won't be funded by the TV licence fee, as BBC Studios is the commercial arm of the corporation.
Related: The Grand Tour's James May calls out Top Gear fans over response to Freddie Flintoff crash
In a statement, a BBC Studios spokesperson said: "BBC Studios has reached an agreement with Freddie that we believe supports his continued rehabilitation, return to work and future plans.
What to Read Next
"We have sincerely apologised to Freddie and will continue to support him with his recovery."
An internal investigation into the accident has reportedly concluded, and it is believed that an external investigation is still ongoing.
In a recent public appearance, Flintoff called the last few months "the hardest times" of his life, but hasn't publicly addressed the specifics of the accident and the time following it yet.
The BBC has also responded to reports that Top Gear as a whole is being axed, denying that this is the case.
"A decision on the timing of future Top Gear shows will be made in due course with BBC Content," the statement reads.
Top Gear episodes dating back to 2022 can be streamed on BBC iPlayer.
Joe Anderton is a freelance news writer at Digital Spy, having worked there since 2016. In his time, he's covered a host of live events and interviewed celebrities big and small. A big fan of TV and movies both mainstream and obscure, Joe also enjoys video games and in particular PlayStation. Joe currently does not use Twitter, but he only ever used it to tell people to watch the film Help! I'm a Fish.
