Freddie Flintoff telly absence explained as co-stars in disbelief he was unable to be involved
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Freddie Flintoff telly absence explained after uproar from disgruntled Top Gear fans

But he is on the telly, a little unexpectedly, tonight!

Freddie Flintoff’s Top Gear absence has been explained – and his co-stars couldn’t believe he wasn’t involved.

Former cricket star Freddie, 43, was missing from parts of the BBC 2 show last night (Sunday, November 28).

And it seems fans were not impressed, with complaints on social media the episode was “boring” without him.

However, Freddie fans fearful of going without a Flintoff fix need not fret too much.

That’s because he’s back on the box tonight (Monday November 29) alongside Jamie Redknapp for a repeat of DNA Journey.

There's a bonus TV portion of Freddie Flintoff on the box tonight
There’s a bonus TV portion of Freddie Flintoff on the box tonight (Credit: YouTube)

Why was Freddie Flintoff missing from Top Gear?

Freddie’s co-stars – Paddy McGuiness and Chris Harris – travelled to Iceland for an road race adventure up a volcano.

However, Freddie did not feature in the segment.

Read more: What’s on instead of I’m A Celebrity tonight?

It was revealed Iceland was picked as their destination due to the limited travel options available at the time of filming.

But it seems coronavirus restrictions still frustrated production – with Freddie falling foul of them.

Fans felt Top Gear was lacking without Freddie
Fans felt Top Gear was lacking without Freddie (Credit: Top Gear YouTube)

How did his co-stars react?

Paddy noted Freddie would have enjoyed their trip as he and Chris examined the desolate landscape.

“I can’t believe that Flintoff’s not here – he would love this,” Paddy reflected.

Chris went on to explain: “Unfortunately, the day before we travelled, Flintoff had been forced to self-isolate and so couldn’t join the trip.”

Nonetheless, Freddie was seen later in the programme as he joined his fellow presenters for studio segments.

I can’t believe that Flintoff’s not here.

But fans were still not entirely happy.

One viewer wrote on social media: “Where’s Freddie? It’s just not the same, I miss him.”

“@BBC_TopGear without Freddie is really really boring!” complained another.

And a third tweeted: “Not the best show tonight. Iceland would have been better with Freddie.”

Freddie wasn't off Top Gear altogether
Freddie wasn’t off Top Gear altogether (Credit: BBC iPlayer)

Why is DNA Journey on again?

DNA Journey’s second series first aired back in March.

Other episodes in the series included instalments featured Amanda Holden and Alan Carr, and Martin Kemp and Roman Kemp looking into their family histories.

Read more: Freddie Flintoff Living With Bulimia: Viewers call for brave Top Gear star to be knighted

However, the first episode of the second run is being shown again as a replacement for I’m A Celebrity.

DNA Journey airs on ITV tonight, Monday November 29, at 9pm. Top Gear airs on BBC One on Sundays at 8pm.

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Robert Leigh
Freelance writer