Top Gear legend The Stig says he 'nearly died' in car crash with Freddie Flintoff as he reveals his identity as driver Paul Rees

By BETHAN EDWARDS, SHOWBUSINESS REPORTER Published: 01:19, 23 July 2026 | Updated: 02:06, 23 July 2026 Top Gear legend The Stig said he 'nearly' died in horror car crash with Freddie Flintoff as he revealed his identity as Ex-Formula 2 and Porsche Supercup driver Paul Rees. Paul, 41, who was The Stig from 2019 until 2022, broke his back after the Morgan Super 3 flipped while filming the BBC show at Dunsfold Aerodrome in Surrey in 2022. Ex-England cricketer Freddie, 48, needed several reconstructive facial surgeries and later got a £12million payout. Top Gear has been paused. Married dad-of-two Paul, who was left with PTSD after the three wheeler crashed, is now claiming in excess of £100,000 in damages in a claim first submitted a year after the accident but says he would have settled for a heartfelt apology. Recalling the horrific crash that nearly killed him and Freddie, Paul said: 'My vision went red. I now know that was blood from Fred spraying me in the face. 'I remember thinking that if we can get out of this and be in wheelchairs, we're lucky. It was a terrifying thought. Everything goes in slow motion.  Top Gear legend The Stig said he 'nearly' died in horror car crash with Freddie Flintoff as he revealed his identity as Ex-Formula 2 and Porsche Supercup driver Paul Rees; pictured 2016 Ex-England cricketer Freddie, 48, needed several reconstructive facial surgeries and later got a £12million payout. Top Gear has been paused 'I genuinely felt like we were going to potentially die, because we had no protection. I'm used to having four or five-point harnesses, a helmet, and a roll hoop. 'I was acutely aware the only thing holding my head off the tarmac was Fred's head. I still have no idea how I walked away. It is why I highlighted the risks from the very start, and we were not listened to by the BBC,' he told The Sun.  Paul, who was in the car as a passenger due to BBC producers fearing Freddie was not 'dynamic enough' through the track's right-hand 'Chicago' corner, recalled telling the presenter he should wear a helmet in which crew members had told him 'no'.  Following the crash, Paul said he looked at Freddie next to him and thought 'he was dead'.  He soon became even more worried after he says a solo medic admitted, 'I'm not equipped for this' due to the BBC reportedly scrapping having an ambulance on site. However, BBC Studios have emphatically denied that they were negligent.  After ringing 999, Freddie and Paul were told the nearest ambulance was two hours away and due to a delay in Freddie getting treatment, Paul says he was not checked for his own injuries until hours later.  A medic ran his fingers down Paul's back and he felt a sharp pain from a light poke. He alerted wife Jemma about the crash as he went to hospital on a spinal board. He revealed that he later recieved a voice note from Freddie, who was barely audible because of the damage to his face and loss of teeth, checking in on him.  Paul claims he was told by one BBC executive to 'dull down' his comments on the extent of the crash so the show could make a comeback when Freddie recovered. He did not hear from the BBC again until he was offered a therapy session with other staff. Lawyers for BBC Studios have emphatically denied that they were negligent and instead argue in their defence: 'It was [Rees's] faulty instructions which led to the accident.'  The BBC Studios filing provides insight into the moments immediately before the crash at Dunsfold Aerodrome which saw Flintoff being dragged face-down along the tarmac for roughly 50 metres. Recalling the horrific crash that nearly killed him and Freddie, Paul said: 'I remember thinking that if we can get out of this and be in wheelchairs, we're lucky. It was a terrifying thought' 'I felt like we were going to die, because we had no protection. I was acutely aware the only thing holding my head off the tarmac was Fred's head. I still have no idea how I walked away'. However, BBC Studios have emphatically denied that they were negligent  Following the crash, Paul soon became even more worried after a solo medic admitted, 'I'm not equipped for this' due to the BBC reportedly scrapping having an ambulance on site Paul, 41, who was The Stig from 2019 until 2022, broke his back after the Morgan Super 3 flipped while filming the BBC show at Dunsfold Aerodrome in Surrey in 2022 The Super 3 did not have a roof and Flintoff was not wearing a helmet - and reports indicate that he endured an agonizing 45-minute delay before he could be airlifted to St George's Hospital in London, as crew members initially struggled to locate a stretcher. There were microphones in the car before the crash, and the defence filing from BBC Studios claims that Rees reassured Flintoff that the car would not roll just before it did, telling him: 'As you turn the wheel then give it the beans and then as soon as you are sort of in a slide, then come off the power and try and drift it...' Just seconds before the Super 3 flipped, BBC Studios claims that the pair were heading towards Chicago corner and Rees said: 'So going up here, now turn right ... now full power, full power.' After months of pain, Paul found out in 2023 that, despite originally being given the all-clear, he had actually broken his back. He also claimed to the publication that the BBC attempted to blame him for the accident because he was the 'pro driver' and told him to 'find a good lawyer'.  Paul, who is also a presenter for luxury home competition company Omaze, is married to 40-year-old physiotherapist Jemma and the couple live in a £1.3million country house south of Oxford with their two sons.  The Daily Mail understands that Paul was provided with comprehensive medical, legal and welfare support following the accident. A BBC Studios spokesman said: 'We dispute this claim and are defending it. As it's now before the courts, it would be inappropriate to comment further.' It is understood that the BBC's position is that the accident investigation report, which has not been publicly released, contradicts some of Rees's claims.  Paul is the fourth Top Gear Stig to be unmasked since the debut of the character in October 2002.  The original black racing suit Stig's identity was leaked as ex-F1 driver Perry McCarthy, now 65, in 2003.  The iconic white-suited Stig took over in November 2003. His identity was revealed when ex-Formula 3 driver Ben Collins wanted to write a book, The Man in the White Suit, triggering a legal battle with the BBC. Phil Keen, 42, took over from 2010 to 2022, sharing the secret role with others, including Paul Rees. F1 legend Michael Schumacher was a one-off Stig in 2006, and it was once rumoured James Bond star Daniel Craig was in the suit. Top Gear was cancelled for the foreseeable future in late 2023 following the crash.