The BBC has announced the return of the motoring show Top Gear, nearly four years after presenter Andrew “Freddie” Flintoff was seriously injured in a crash during filming. The program had been on hiatus since the accident in December 2022, which forced the production to pause indefinitely.

Flintoff, a former cricketer who joined Top Gear in 2019, sustained facial and rib injuries when the Morgan Super 3 he was driving overturned at Dunsfold Aerodrome in Surrey. The vehicle, an open-roof model, flipped onto its roof and skidded along the tarmac before coming to a halt. Following the incident, Flintoff was hospitalized and later reached a reported financial settlement worth around £9 million with the BBC.

At the Edinburgh TV Festival, Ed Havard, the BBC’s director of entertainment, confirmed the show’s comeback but did not provide details about the presenter's involvement or the new lineup. “We can confirm that Top Gear is coming back. I’m not going to talk about talent today,” he said.

Top Gear’s hiatus came after the crash prompted the BBC to put the long-running automotive series on indefinite hold. The upcoming return marks a significant moment for the show, which has been a staple of British television for nearly three decades. Further announcements regarding the production schedule, format changes, or presenter roles have yet to be disclosed.