Future of Top Gear uncertain as return is not expected anytime soon

The popular TV show Top Gear will not be returning "for the foreseeable future" after one of its presenters, Andrew "Freddie" Flintoff, was injured in a crash during filming last year. The BBC announced that it has decided to rest the UK version of the show. Flintoff was injured in December at the show's test track in Surrey, causing the 34th series to be halted. The BBC has apologized to Flintoff and expressed its commitment to him and his co-presenters, Chris Harris and Paddy McGuinness. The broadcaster also mentioned that new projects are being developed with each of them. The decision to rest the show has disappointed fans, but the BBC believes it is the right thing to do. Despite this hiatus, all other Top Gear activities, including international formats and digital content, will continue as usual. Flintoff recently reached a settlement with the BBC worth £9 million, which will not be funded by the TV license fee. His legal team has stated that he is still recovering from significant injuries. The BBC had previously apologized to Flintoff and announced a health and safety review of the show. The review, conducted by an independent third party, found that BBC Studios complied with the necessary policies and industry best practices but identified areas for improvement. The report included recommendations for better safety practices in future productions. Flintoff returned to the public eye in September, leading fielding drills with England players, but visible scars from his accident were still apparent. The former cricket captain joined Top Gear as a host in 2019, and their most recent series had an average audience of 4.5 million viewers.