Andrew Flintoff makes major TV return with iconic 1980s game show

Former star England all rounder Andrew Flintoff is all set to give flight to his television (TV) career as a host. Notably, Flintoff will be hosting a one-off Christmas special episode of the popular gameshow, Bullseye.

For the unversed, the legendary cricket figure was airlifted after getting involved in a near-fatal car crash in 2022, while he was shooting the automobile-based ‘Top Gear’ show. In the aftermath of the accident, Flintoff suffered severe facial injuries along with rib fractures. Hence, this will be the first time for the lanky cricketer to make a comeback to the television world with his new show.

The motive behind the show was tipped as reviving the ITV show which is dart gaming based. Notably, the show gained immense popularity back in the 1980s with the late comedian, Jim Bowen, hosting the show. After recovering from the accident, Flintoff started making his comeback into the mainstream with his sports documentary series, The Field of Dreams. Besides, reflecting on the new show, the 46-year-old said that the dart game show was one of his favourites back in his childhood days.

“I love the darts and Bullseye was one of my favourite shows as a kid. Can’t quite believe I’ll get to host this Christmas special. You can’t beat a bit of Bully!” Flintoff was quoted as saying by The Sun.

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Meanwhile, speaking of the dart game, teams chosen for the show are in pairs. One of them is selected for being skilled at darts while the other is preferred for their good general knowledge of darts. The first person is called a ‘thrower’ for being an amateur darts player while their partner is deemed as the “knower”. In the game, the teams are needed to throw darts on various installed dart boards while answering some questions in the process to win some exciting prizes.

Top Gear show halted indefinitely after Flintoff's accident

Besides, when it comes to what traumas the Lancashire all rounder had to go through, it not only had a lifelong consequence on Andrew Flintoff but also decided the fate of the Top Gear show. Andrew Flintoff had to go through the knife on multiple occasions for facial injuries and also recalled that for the next seven months, he only stepped out of his house for medical treatments.

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In the aftermath of the accident, the BBC-based show has been called off for an uncertain time. The organizers settled the dispute and the treatment's commitments by paying Flintoff a hefty compensation. The amount paid to the legendary figure was reported to be around Nine million pounds.