Top Gear star says he warned BBC about safety

Former Top Gear presenter Chris Harris has claimed helium expressed information concerns to the BBC earlier Andrew "Freddie" Flintoff's clang successful 2022.

The amusement is presently connected hiatus aft the erstwhile cricketer was earnestly injured portion filming astatine Top Gear's trial way astatine Dunsfold.

Speaking to podcaster Joe Rogan, Harris said helium had warned the BBC 3 months earlier the mishap that determination could beryllium a "serious injury" oregon "fatality" if information procedures were not tightened.

BBC Studios, which makes Top Gear, referred to an autarkic probe successful 2023 which recovered they had complied with manufacture champion practice, but that determination were "learnings which would request to beryllium rigorously applied" if Top Gear returned.

In his interview, Harris told Rogan: "What was ne'er spoken astir was that 3 months earlier the accident, I'd gone to the BBC and said, 'Unless you alteration something, someone's going to dice connected this show'.

"So I went to them, I went to the BBC and I told them of my concerns from what I'd seen - arsenic the astir experienced operator connected the amusement by a mile.

"I said, 'If we transportation on, astatine the precise slightest we're going to person a superior injury, astatine the precise worst we're going to person fatality'."

Harris added his 2 co-presenters, Flintoff and Paddy McGuinness - were "brilliant entertainers" but "didn't person the acquisition I had successful cars" and were not "qualified to marque decisions".

Discussing Flintoff's accident, Harris said: "He wasn't wearing a clang helmet.

"And if you bash that, adjacent astatine 25, 30 miles an hour, the injuries that you prolong are profound."

Harris said helium clang happened arsenic Flintoff was driving a three-wheeled supercar.

"It's a very, hard car," helium said. "You person to beryllium alert of its limitations. And I deliberation that truly was difficult, and you request experience.

"There were 2 radical that had driven a Morgan three-wheeler earlier contiguous that time - maine and idiosyncratic else, a pro driver.

"And we were sitting wrong astatine that time. No 1 had asked america thing astir the car. They'd conscionable gone connected and changeable it without us."

Harris arrived connected the country soon aft the crash. He recalled: “I retrieve the vigor connection that I heard.

“I heard idiosyncratic accidental this has been a existent mishap here. The car’s upside down. So I ran to the window, looked retired and helium wasn't moving."

He continued: "[Flintoff] wasn't moving, truthful I thought helium was dead. I assumed helium was past helium moved.

"He’s a carnal specimen, Fred, he's a large feline - six ft five, six ft six, strong. And if helium wasn't truthful strong, helium wouldn't person survived.

"He's a large advert for carnal spot and conditioning, due to the fact that if helium hadn't been that strong, he'd person conscionable snapped his neck, he'd beryllium dead."

In a connection released past year, BBC Studios referred to an autarkic Health and Safety accumulation reappraisal of Top Gear, which looked astatine erstwhile seasons of the show.

"[The review] recovered that portion BBC Studios had complied with the required BBC policies and manufacture champion signifier successful making the show, determination were important learnings which would request to beryllium rigorously applied to aboriginal Top Gear UK productions," a spokesperson said.

“The study included a fig of recommendations to amended approaches to information arsenic Top Gear is simply a analyzable programme-making situation routinely navigating choky filming schedules and ambitious editorial expectations – challenges often experienced by long-running shows with an established connected and off-screen team.

"Learnings included a elaborate enactment program involving changes successful the ways of working, specified arsenic accrued clarity connected roles and responsibilities and amended connection betwixt teams for immoderate aboriginal Top Gear production.”

Flintoff precocious returned to screens with his BBC bid Field of Dreams, successful which helium revealed helium suffers anxiety, nightmares and flashbacks pursuing his accident.

Harris is due to contiguous a caller roadworthy travel series with chap Top Gear presenter Paddy McGuinness, which is presently successful production.