Flintoff played all forms of the game and was one of the sport's leading all-rounders, a fast bowler, middle-order batsman and slip fielder.

Since his retirement, Flintoff has been involved with numerous projects, including designing his own fashion range and becoming the face of clothing brand Jacamo, winning the first series of the Australian version of I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here!

Flintoff became a presenter of the BBC One car show Top Gear in 2019, remaining with the programme until he sustained injuries resulting from an accident during filming in late 2022.

[3] Flintoff's father, Colin, was a plumber and factory maintenance worker and the captain of Dutton Forshaw second XI cricket team.

In the same year England's management made clear they were unhappy with his fitness and weight, Flintoff responded to his critics with 42 not out in a one-day game against Zimbabwe on his home ground of Old Trafford, forming an explosive second-wicket stand with Graeme Hick; as he collected the Man of the Match award he remarked his performance was "not bad for a fat lad".

He continued to play well on the tour of the West Indies in March and April 2004, taking five wickets in the Test in Barbados and scoring a century in Antigua.

[14][15][16] Following the Test series in South Africa in December 2004 and January 2005, Flintoff flew home for surgery on his left ankle, leading to worries he might not regain fitness in time for The Ashes.

In fact, following a rehabilitation programme of swimming and hill-walking, he recovered ahead of schedule and was able to return to action for Lancashire in April.

He took five wickets on the fourth day of the final Test match, enabling England to go off for bad light and helping them eventually to secure a draw and regain the Ashes.

In October 2005, Flintoff shared the Sir Garfield Sobers Trophy for the ICC player of the year award with Jacques Kallis of South Africa.

His contributions with both bat and ball ensured that he was named as the player of the series, with many commentators seeing Flintoff as someone who not only worked better under the responsibility but was also viewed as a great influence of an inexperienced side, which included many debutants, such as Alastair Cook, Owais Shah and Monty Panesar.

The series turned out to be a humiliating one for Flintoff, leading his side to five straight losses and thus losing the Ashes after having held them for the shortest time in history.

He made only two scores over 50 in the series, his best bowling figures being 4–99 in the first innings of the First Test in Brisbane, and he failed to take five wickets in a match.

According to Nasser Hussain during the tour he also had three or four warnings for inappropriate behaviour and binge drinking,[19][20] including arriving hung over for a training session.

Michael Vaughan's return from knee surgery was cut short by a hamstring injury and he was only able to play two matches, leaving Flintoff in charge for the remaining games.

With Michael Vaughan returning from injury for the Cricket World Cup in the West Indies, Flintoff was replaced as captain but appointed England's vice-captain.

In the opening match of the tournament against New Zealand, Flintoff was out first ball in England's innings and, although conceding only 17 runs in eight overs, he failed to take a wicket.

[26] Flintoff returned for a couple of games with Lancashire, in preparation for the West Indies tour of England but he re-injured his ankle and was ruled out for the first Test which started on 17 May 2007.

But Flintoff did not find success at the tournament, held in South Africa due to the Indian General Elections, as after a difficult first few matches he was sent home for surgery following another knee injury.

[36] However, speculation over Flintoff's form ahead of the much-awaited 2009 Ashes series died down as he took six wickets in his first match back for Lancashire and left "several county batsmen...nursing bruised ribs and fingers".

He also collected a half-century against Hampshire, although he was still yet to register a century in either domestic cricket or any form of the international game since that Trent Bridge instalment of the last home Ashes in 2005,[37] which year also accounted for his most recent Test five-for.

[42] He featured in the final of the competition, dismissing Ian Bell with the ball and hitting two sixes in the penultimate over as Lancashire fell just short against Birmingham Bears.

[44] In March 2010, Flintoff became a team captain on the Sky One television sports panel show A League of Their Own, hosted by James Corden.

He was also a commentator for Network Ten's Big Bash League coverage and appeared as a regular panellist on their current affairs show The Project.

[55] In September 2017, Flintoff was the main presenter for Cannonball on ITV with Frankie Bridge, Radzi Chinyanganya, Ryan Hand and Maya Jama as poolside reporters.

[64] In October 2023, press reports confirmed that BBC Studios had reached a £9 million financial settlement to compensate Flintoff for the injuries he had sustained.

[65] In 2022, Flintoff presented "Freddie's Field of Dreams" on the BBC which saw him attempting to create a cricket team made up of disadvantaged boys from Preston.

In his 2005 autobiography, Being Freddie, Flintoff admitted he had little or no interest in football at the time and only visited the City of Manchester Stadium for the social atmosphere.

During Flintoff's innings of 167 against the West Indies at Edgbaston in July 2004, one six off Jermaine Lawson was hit high into the Ryder Stand and almost caught by his father, who fumbled the ball and dropped it.

In Freddie Flintoff: Hidden Side of Sport broadcast on the BBC One in 2012,[79] he talks candidly in moving interviews with Steve Harmison, Vinnie Jones and Ricky Hatton and others about the serious effects of depression.