Freddie Flintoff
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Higher speedwhich was once one of the most profitable crown jewels of the BBC’s program portfolio and a show that has been on the air for around 46 years, is being put on extended hiatus.
The British public broadcaster revealed on Tuesday that the flagship car show would not return for the “foreseeable future” and that it had “decided to discontinue” the series.
The news follows a high-speed car crash involving host Freddie Flintoff while filming the show which led to production on the final season being halted.
The accident – Flintoff’s third in the series – occurred in late 2022 and required the former cricketer to be airlifted to a hospital. In October, press reports confirmed that BBC Studios, the commercial arm of the BBC which produces Higher speedhad reached a compensation settlement of 9 million pounds ($11.3 million) for the injuries suffered by Flintoff.
The decision to pull the series from screens was taken after an external BBC health and safety investigation, which they said would not be published. A separate health and safety report examining previous seasons of Higher speed found that “there were important lessons” in the way the show was produced.
In its statement on Tuesday, the BBC said it remained “committed” to the hosting trio of Flintoff, Chris Harris and Paddy McGuinness and was “excited about the new projects being developed with each of them” . He did not immediately share more details.
The BBC added: “We know that putting the series on hiatus will be disappointing news for fans, but it is the right thing to do.”
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