We go water sliding with cricket legend Freddie Flintoff and chat giving up booze, being scared of the dark and that pedalo incident
Fabulous' Emma met Freddie on the set of ITV's Cannonball in Malta
The cricket legend, 39, chats being scared of the dark, living booze-free and that pedalo incident
Where The ITV Cannonball set, Malta
You get up to all sorts on A League of Their Own with James Corden, Jack Whitehall and Jamie Redknapp. Who would do best on the Cannonball assault course?
I reckon Jack. It’s a set of slides and obstacles, all involving bombing into the water. James would get some speed up, but Jack is an amazing fella. He’s got that bumbling way about him, but there’s a real steeliness to him, too.
You’re quite the daredevil yourself, aren’t you?
A little bit. The first TV show I did after retiring was extreme sports for ITV4’s Freddie Flintoff Versus The World. I did a skeleton run, cliff diving in Acapulco and a Texas rodeo where they put me on the biggest, angriest bull. Playing sport, you’re always living on adrenalin, and when that disappears, you search for other things. But I’ve not found anything so far that gets me going as much as playing cricket.
Are you scared of anything?
The dark. The landing lights are always on.
Being a 6ft 4in former sportsman, did you have to be careful not to let your muscle turn to fat after retiring?
I think I’ve gone the other way – I think it was fat when I was playing! Since I stopped drinking, my social life revolves around the gym instead of the pub. I wouldn’t say I’m fitter than when I played, but I did find things were starting to get a bit loose.
Do you miss the booze?
I probably did for the first week, but now I don’t wake up feeling rough the next day. Life’s better and easier without it.
How do you feel about turning 40?
I’m not bothered – I just find it staggering. I look at my kids [Holly, 13, Corey, 11, and Rocky, nine, with wife Rachael, 38] and think: “You’re mine, you are!” How did that happen?
Do you play cricket with them?
Yeah. I wouldn’t say I’m hard on them, but when we practise, it’s proper. I don’t let them get me out. Nobody let me do that when I was a kid! I remember when I was nine, playing for Lancashire under-11s, I caught a ball and split the webbing in-between my fingers. My dad just taped me up and said: “Get on with it!”
Ouch! Have you met anyone taller than you?
Richard Osman. Peter Crouch. Dennis Rodman must be one of the tallest and worst I’ve ever met. I had to spend a week with him [filming Freddie Flintoff Versus The World in 2009] and he was not a nice person.
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Dare we mention pedalos after the infamous drunken escapade during the 2007 Cricket World Cup?
Yeah! You know what? I have been on a pedalo twice in my life, and neither of those times was the night in question. People don’t realise, I couldn’t get on it for love nor money. I was just flapping around in the sea.
You did the Australian version of I’m A Celebrity! Would you ever do the UK one?
Never say never, but it’s not in the plans. I’m glad I did it. It’s a slightly different show to our one – it’s on earlier,so it’s family viewing. There’s not many times in life you get a chance to chill for a month.
You look pretty dapper today. Are you into fashion?
I’ve become more and more into it. I’ve got my own clothing range with Jacamo. Playing cricket, you wear whites all day. I used to shave my head because it was easier, but now a lot more thought goes into it.
BTW
Freddie tried to throw us down the water slide fully clothed and holding an iPhone. Hilarious! Not.
He joined us for dinner and ordered a very fancy wagyu beef steak.
Freddie flew to the Cannonball set in Malta on his day off to meet us.
- Watch Cannonball, Saturdays 7pm, ITV