Prime Gear host feared present ‘would not finish nicely’ when Freddie Flintoff was made presenter earlier than horror crash – and mentioned placing TV and sports activities stars within the driving seat ‘may very well be an issue’

An ex-Prime Gear host mentioned he feared the present ‘would not finish nicely’ when TV bosses added TV and sports activities stars – Andrew ‘Freddie’ Flintoff and Paddy McGuinness – to the roster.

Rory Reid, 44, divulged that he had fears about placing celebrities behind the Prime Gear wheel as they lacked the driving expertise and know-how.

It comes as former England cricketer and ex-host Flintoff, was badly injured in an accident while filming the present at Dunsfold Aerodrome in December 2022, the place he flipped a three-wheeled automotive. 

The cricket legend admitted the after results of the crash would possibly observe him ‘for the remainder of my life’ and mentioned he believes he ‘genuinely should not be right here’, with the incident main the BBC led to drag the brakes on the present for ‘foreseeable future’. 

In an interview with Occasions Radio, former Prime Gear host Reid, was requested if he believed placing TV and sporting celebrities within the driving seat might have develop into a difficulty to which he retorted: ‘Completely immediately.’ 

He confessed he thought it may very well be a difficulty because the likes of McGuinness and Flintoff lacked the expertise to ‘have the ability to do among the factor the BBC was asking [him] to do.’ 

He continued: ‘The very first thing I assumed was these males, who I have been fortunate sufficient to look at on their leisure journeys and sports activities journeys, who’re fabulous at what they do. 

‘I do not suppose they’ve the driving expertise to the extent the place they’d have the ability to do among the the issues BBC requested me to do.’ 

He defined that it wasn’t for him ‘to say’ if the BBC had given them extra tuition and time to place the brand new hosts into sure conditions, the place it was ‘snug and secure’, as he was not current. 

He continued: ‘However primarily based on my expertise, in the event you requested me whether or not placing somebody with out that stage of driving expertise in these conditions and whether or not it might finish nicely?’ 

‘I did not suppose it was going to finish nicely. That was my first ever thought having heard about who could be on the present.’ 

Explaining the risks that include the ‘sometimes inherently harmful’ present, he mentioned: ‘This isn’t folks simply leaping right into a automotive and going 30 miles an hour on the street. That is driving them in a means that’s thrilling and enjoyable.

‘And it’s fairly troublesome to try this if you do not have a background in driving vehicles in a short time and perceive the type of driving dynamics and issues that may go proper and fallacious in a short time.’

‘So, you already know, and once you mix that with the truth that I feel BBC and Prime Gear specifically need to make the present look enjoyable and look very thrilling, then there’s a tendency or a possible for issues to go fallacious in a short time.’ 

It comes as Prime Gear presenter Chris Harris claimed he warned BBC bosses earlier than Freddie Flintoff’s high-speed automotive crash. 

The 49-year-old host, who was on set on the time of the accident which occurred throughout filming for Prime Gear, has additionally mentioned he thought Flintoff had died.

The accident at Dunsfold Aerodrome in Surrey in December 2022 left the 46-year-old former England cricketer with vital facial and rib accidents.

And racing driver Harris informed The Joe Rogan Expertise podcast: ‘What was by no means spoken about was that three months earlier than the accident, I would gone to the BBC and mentioned, until you modify one thing, somebody’s going to die on this present.

‘So I went to them, I went to the BBC, and I informed them of my issues from what I would seen as probably the most skilled driver on the present by a mile.

I mentioned if we feature on on the very least, we’ll have a critical damage; on the very worst, we’ll have a fatality.

‘And I feel what occurred with Prime Gear was I noticed repeatedly too many occasions my two co-hosts who did not have the expertise I had in vehicles. That is the important factor.’

Harris mentioned he was ‘certified to make these selections as a result of I’ve accomplished it a very long time’, including: ‘They weren’t. One among them is an actor-comedian. The opposite man is a professional cricket participant.

‘Sensible entertainers. They had been nice hosts. However their roles had been to make folks chortle. And my position was to inform folks what vehicles had been like.’

Within the Occasions Radio interview, the place he mentioned Prime Gear, Reid additionally revealed that he had requested the BBC for added coaching.

Sharing that he believed the BBC didn’t know sufficient about his driving capability he added: ‘They [were] pushing me to a degree the place I really feel I should be higher geared up to cope with among the issues they’re asking me to do.’

‘So I used to be really the one who requested them to present me further coaching. I feel in my second collection, I mentioned, pay attention, are you able to give me some further tuition on the particular stunts that you just requested us to do throughout this present.’

Following this Reid was given further hours with a stunt driver to run by way of a number of of the manoeuvres they had been requested to do on the collection. 

It’s understood that the the BBC had presenters undergo driving assessments earlier than they develop into a part of the TV present, the place they’re given extra coaching. 

In accordance with The Mirror, the BBC claimed all three of Prime Gear’s most up-to-date presenters had been awarded industrial industrial HGV and worldwide racing licences and while on the present.

MailOnline has approached the BBC for remark.