Andrew Flintoff was born on 6 December 1977 in Penwortham, Preston, Lancashire, England. His father Colin — a plumber, factory maintenance manager, and amateur cricketer for Dutton Forshaw CC — and mother Susan raised him in a working-class household. He acquired the nickname “Freddie” at school due to his surname’s similarity to Fred Flintstone. His father and brother Chris both played cricket.

Flintoff attended Greenlands Community Primary School and Ribbleton Hall High School (now City of Preston High School), leaving at 16 with nine GCSEs. He did not attend university, instead pursuing cricket full-time. He made his first-class debut for Lancashire County Cricket Club in 1995 and his England Test debut in 1998. His defining moment came in the 2005 Ashes series, one of cricket’s greatest ever — where he led England to their first Ashes win since 1987, taking 24 wickets and scoring 402 runs. He retired from Test cricket in 2009 due to a recurring knee injury.

After retirement, Flintoff transitioned into television presenting. He joined Top Gear (BBC One) in 2019 alongside Paddy McGuinness and Chris Harris. In December 2022, he suffered a near-fatal accident while filming at the Surrey test track — a three-wheeled Morgan Super 3 overturned at around 45mph, leaving him with severe facial injuries. He was airlifted to hospital and has undergone extensive surgery and rehabilitation. He reached a reported £9 million settlement with BBC Studios in 2023. He has since returned to BBC presenting, coaching cricket, and documenting his recovery.

Flintoff lives in Hale, Greater Manchester with his wife Rachael and their four children. He serves as head coach for the Northern Superchargers and has mentored England’s T20 squad. A Disney+ documentary, Flintoff, released in 2025, chronicles his crash and recovery journey.