Andrew Flintoff is to relaunch his television hosting career by fronting a one-off Christmas special of the gameshow Bullseye.
It will be the former England cricket captain’s first presenting role since he was airlifted from a serious car accident while filming Top Gear in December 2022. The crash left him with facial injuries and broken ribs.
Flintoff, 46, will host the revival of the darts-themed ITV show in December.
First popular in the 1980s, in the reboot Flintoff – nicknamed Freddie – will replace the late comedian Jim Bowen as host.
Since the accident, the once Lancashire all-rounder has starred in Freddie Flintoff’s Field of Dreams, a documentary series that followed him taking young people from his home town of Preston on a cricketing tour of India – but this is his first foray back into light entertainment.
Flintoff said: “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!”
In the game, teams of pairs are chosen, one for their skill at darts and the other for general knowledge. The amateur darts player is the “thrower”, and their team partner, the “knower”.
The teams throw darts at different game boards while answering questions to win eccentric (and difficult to share) prizes.
Katie Rawcliffe, the head of entertainment commissioning at ITV, said: “Bullseye is back and we can’t wait to welcome Freddie Flintoff back to ITV, too. It’s a real treat to have both as key parts of our Christmas schedule on ITV1 and ITVX this year.”
Flintoff was driving an open-topped Morgan Super 3 when it flipped and slid along the track at Surrey’s Dunsfold aerodrome in December 2022. He underwent multiple surgeries for his facial injuries and said that in the seven months after the crash he left the house only for medical treatment.
In the wake of the accident, the BBC announced it had “rested” Top Gear for the foreseeable future and paid Flintoff £9m in compensation.
Bullseye prizes
While those awarded Bully’s star prize might have got a holiday, many of the other prizes awarded to the teams of pairs were a little less dazzling – and challenging to split in two.
A Corby trouser press
A mainstay of 1990s mid-range bed and breakfasts, the upright trouser press was a regular on the prize list.
Fitted kitchens
Given that contestants were typically pairs of men who spent most of their time in the pub, the fitted kitchen made an unlikely star prize.
Teasmade
The classic bedside gadget could make you a warm brew before you got up, but sharing the win would require moving into your teammate’s bedroom.
Tantalus
The whisky decanter cabinet, usually with its own lock and key, used to be one of the mid-range prizes that might garner an “ooh” from the audience.
Cutlery
Bully’s star prize was once a set of gold cutlery, before the likes of a colour television or tumble drier.
Speedboat
According to Bowen, the speedboat was only ever won once and the contestants lived in top-floor flats in Coventry, more than 100 miles from the sea.