Freddie Flintoff admits his competitive side returned during Top Gear filming

Andrew “Freddie” Flintoff has said he felt his competitive side return during filming for the upcoming series of Top Gear.

The motoring series was mid-way through filming ahead of making its debut on BBC One in the autumn, but production was halted due to the coronavirus pandemic.

In a video chat from their respective homes, the presenting trio of Flintoff, Chris Harris and Paddy McGuinness tease a car-parking challenge and talk about filming in Cyprus, all done before lockdown came into place.

It comes after the BBC’s director of content, Charlotte Moore, said in a Telegraph column this week that Top Gear and EastEnders would resume filming by the end of June.

Former cricketer Flintoff collides with Harris during the parking-themed challenge, which prompted Harris to visit a chiropractor at the time.

Talking about the challenge, Harris says: “We are halfway through a run. We had actually done quite a lot by the time the lockdown came, then we had to stop. There’s some quite interesting goings-on in those films.

“In one film we have bought some Category N cars – those are write-offs. In the old days we could call that a Cat C or a Cat D.

“You can still have it on the road, but it’s technically a write-off.”

He adds jokingly: “Now Andrew, can you explain some of your behaviour during the first part of that film, because I can’t see the chiropractor at the moment but I had to afterwards.”

Flintoff, who welcomed his fourth child with wife Rachael at Christmas, replies: “We got put into a competitive position. I don’t want to say too much but, on this car-parking challenge, so far, when it comes to competition, I have managed to keep it under the lid a little bit.

“I think this is the first time since I’ve been on the job where I desperately wanted to win, and the worst thing about competition is that it can bring the worst out in me.”

Harris says he “did not expect that hit at all” and that it “absolutely wanged” him across his car.

He adds: “I got out and thought ‘He’s completely lost his marbles’, and you were just sat there with a slightly crazed grin on your face.”

Harris recently dyed his hair blonde to raise money for the Great Western Air Ambulance Charity, following in the footsteps of McGuinness who has also debuted a similar look.

In February, it was announced that the programme would move from BBC Two to BBC One, after proving a ratings hit with viewers.

It follows in the footsteps of Peaky Blinders and Line Of Duty, which both also made the move.

The opening episode of Flintoff, McGuinness and Harris’s second series together pulled in an audience of more than 4.3 million, according to consolidated figures.