Cricket legend Andrew ‘Freddie’ Flintoff is back on our screens as host of ITV’s Bullseye – but recently quit his job following a pay dispute
Harry Brent Senior Sports Writer
17:00, 30 Nov 2025
Freddie Flintoff has had a difficult few years(Image: Youtube / Stick to Cricket)
Freddie Flintoff once walked away from a job after receiving what he considered an insulting pay offer.
The England cricket legend had his world turned upside down in 2022 when he was involved in a near-fatal car crash while filming Top Gear. Over the past three years, he has been steadily rebuilding his life and working tirelessly toward a full recovery.
A major step in that journey came in 2023, when The Hundred franchise Northern Superchargers appointed him as their head coach. The role helped him regain his footing in the sport that had defined most of his professional career. But the goodwill behind that gesture was soon overshadowed by a disappointing turn of events.
Last month, Flintoff stepped down from the role after being offered “a quarter” of what other head coaches were earning. The 47-year-old said the offer made it clear the team wasn’t particularly eager to keep him.
“I genuinely don’t do it for the money – although it’s nice – but I’m worth more than just over a quarter of the salary of other head coaches,” Flintoff said on the Beard Before Wicket podcast. “We have new owners and I spoke to them and said: ‘Yeah, fine, make us an offer.’
“I wasn’t encouraged they wanted me anyway, and you want to feel valued. So I said that it’s not going to work for me and they weren’t going to move on it.”
Flintoff spent two years in charge of the Northern Superchargers(Image: ECB via Getty Images)
Despite his departure from the Northern Superchargers, Flintoff hasn’t stepped away from cricket. In September 2024, he was named the new head coach of the England Lions – the country’s men’s second team – a role he still holds today.
For Flintoff, these coaching roles were far more than jobs or pay packets – they were vital lifelines for a man who has openly acknowledged the scale of his struggles following the crash. His wife, Rachael, previously revealed that cricket had “saved” him at a time when he needed it most.
The accident – which took place at Dunsfold Park Aerodrome in Surrey in December 2022 – left Flintoff not only psychologically shaken but also facing financial uncertainty. His earnings fell sharply after the crash, leaving the 2005 Ashes hero in a degree of monetary difficulty.
Flintoff – pictured here alongside Luke Littler – returned to TV as host of Bullseye this month(Image: ITV)
A reported £9million settlement from the BBC eased much of that pressure. While the size of the payout raised some eyebrows, it reflected both the £1m annual salary Flintoff had earned on Top Gear and the significant income he lost – and continues to lose – as he navigates an uncertain future.
After three years away from television, Flintoff returned as the host of ITV’s darts-theme game show Bullseye this month. Despite more than a decade of presenting experience – on Top Gear, A League of Their Own and on BBC Radio – he admitted to feeling “anxious” about stepping back into the spotlight.
“Even going through the walkthrough [for Bullseye], looking on the screen and seeing myself… I’m just trying to find my feet again,” he said in ‘Flintoff’, the Disney+ documentary released earlier this year.
The series, which follows on from a Christmas special last year, sticks to the original format of the beloved 1980s show that was presented by Jim Bowen. It features professional darts players including current world champion Luke Littler and Stephen Bunting.
