Piers Morgan Uncensored - "Close To Home" Freddie Flintoff on Ricky Hatton Cause of Death & Surviving Horror Crash

Episode Date: October 16, 2025

British viewers need no introduction to Andrew ‘Freddie’ Flintoff, the undisputed sporting legend. And even more around the world will know him as the lovable northern rogue from Top Gear. The former England cricket player’s life was changed dramatically in December 2022 when the car he was driving flipped and he sustained serious injuries to his face and ribs. Flintoff details his story of survival in his new book ‘Coming Home: The Moments That Made Me’ - and joins Piers Morgan to open up about how he thinks the sport that made him may have saved his life, his friendship with the late Ricky Hatton, whose death today was ruled as a suicide and more. Piers Morgan Uncensored is proudly independent and supported by: Oxford Natural: To watch their full stories, scan the QR code on your screen or visit https://oxfordnatural.com/piers/ to get 70% off your first order when you use code PIERS. Tax Network USA: Call 1-800-958-1000 or visit https://TNUSA.com/PIERS to meet with a strategist today for FREEBirch Gold: Visit https://birchgold.com/piers to get your free info kit on gold. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

You've had this horrific crash that you've survived. I did think I was dead and I thought, is this what it is when you die? I got dragged out and under the car and I'd taken the big impact and I could feel, but I couldn't see it. I didn't think I had a face from being pleased I was still there, turned into fear pretty quickly. We knew you'd survive, but then you kind of disappeared.

How important was your family? I'm sure I wasn't easy. You know, I'd cry a lot. I'd get snappy, I'd get angry. But Rachel was strong. She had to be for both of us. I think you realise what's important and you realise how fragile I suppose life can be as well. I'm still figuring it out piece much. Do you drive now? Yeah, I've only been driving about four months. Just being sat behind the wheel and getting all them folks, man. It was an adjustment to begin with. To physically see you again is actually it's a great feeling. Yeah, probably when a few people here say that feeling's mutual.

For the record, who did piss in the garden at the number 10 down the street. Fantastic. Well, British viewers need no introduction to Andrew Freddie Flintov, an undisputed sporting legend. Australians probably know him as more of a sporting tyrant after a string of unforgettable performances, an iconic rivalry.

Even our US audiences will remember his second coming as a top gear star. However, they were allegedly offered subtitles to help navigate his very, very northern accent. Well, Fred's new book coming home, the moments that made me is an instant classic in many ways. I'm delighted to say he joins in the studio now. I'm actually delighted to see you. Thank you.

Because I have not seen you since your accident. No. So we've known each other 20 years or so now and obviously communicated a lot, but to physically see you again is actually, it's a great feeling. Yeah, I'm probably one of a few people here who said, the feeling's mutual. Thanks, friend.

How are you? Yeah, I'm all right. It's been an adjustment over the past few years. Obviously with the accident was one thing and getting over that. Whether you actually truly get over it, I'm not quite sure. Do you think you ever will? I don't know, I'm accepting of it now. You know, with what happened, you know, I suffered from PTSD.

I've flashbacks and nightmares, but I've probably got more of an acceptance of them now. But I suppose that the biggest thing it did do was brought me back to cricket. And obviously with family and friends and cricket have been the things that now, are probably helping him more than anything. There's an amazing thing at the start of your book where you talk about your cricket instincts honed from facing 95, 100 mile an hour fast bowlers where you literally have to rely on your instinct

to get you out of trouble where you get hit. And you have that instinct as the car's rolling. I'm not going to labour the crash because I don't know you don't want to overly talk about that. You don't need to, you don't it? But that moment when those instincts kicked in, can you remember that vividly? Yeah, because one of the things about the crash was I was not unconscious.

So I remember everything about it. And it was in a car where I was exposed from pretty much here up and no helmet on. And as it went over, it was like I got a decision I need to make here. And I can only relate it to batting at cricket and probably American viewers of baseball. how fast it is. So if someone's bowling around 90 mile and hour

you've got point four of a second. And in that point four of a second, you gotta decide where the ball's gonna go if it's gonna swing, you gotta get your feet in the right place, your body, you gotta think about where you're gonna hit it. And I think in some ways, having them instinct saved me,

so I had a decision I had to make, you know, I thought if I get hit sideways, I'll break my neck. So I just turned and looked at the floor and braced myself and shut my eyes and took my left arm out because they say, keep your arms in the car, because you might lose one.

But I thought I'm right-handed, so I just gripped tight with me right-hand and tried to brace a little bit with my left one. Thinking you might lose your arm? Possibly, yeah. So, you know, and I got dragged out and under the car, and it turned out, obviously, not ideal, but I was alive. And possibly in that moment, that's probably what saved me.

So I'm thankful of that. And then also probably as well, obviously, support a family and friends, but I think cricket has played a massive part latterly in getting me back. back into life almost. That moment when you know you're not dead, when you've had this horrific crash,

but you've survived, is that moment, albeit briefly, is it a moment of euphoria? Or did you instantly think, well, I may have survived, but I'm in real trouble here? I think two things. Initially, I did think I was dead, because I couldn't see anything. I was just in darkness.

And I thought, is it? Is this it? Is this what it is like this in darkness? Is this what it is when you die? But I had a hat on and the hat had got them over my eyes. So I pulled it up and I was like, I know, I'm on a top gear track. And then initially, I suppose please, but then fear. Because I knew that I'd taken a big impact and I could feel what had happened but I couldn't see it.

So my initial thought was actually checked on my body, I can still feel everything, although I've done my wrist. and a couple of ribs. But then I didn't think I had a face. That was the hardest bit. It was like, I don't know what I look like here. Is my face still on that runway, what's left of it? And I suppose from being pleased I was still there,

turned into fear pretty quickly. About what the lasting impact? Yeah, I just couldn't, I didn't know what I looked like, I didn't know what I'd done to myself, and then over a sudden the pain started, you know, the pain started and the blood started pouring. Was it just agony? Agony.

You know, it was, you know, I was a bust open all the way around here, just open. And it was minus two. So it was like burning. My face was freezing. It was, yeah, I just wanted to get up and walk and just get away. Or just close my eyes and this has, this hasn't happened. I remember the news breaking. And like everyone that knows you, obviously complete horror at what I was hearing.

And then you kind of, we knew you'd survive, but then you kind of disappeared. You didn't really respond, I think, really just more than just a handful of people. Through that period of quite a few months, what was going through your head then about why you just felt like you had to kind of cocoon yourself? I got an uramborice to hospital, and the care I got at a hospital at St. George's was incredible. You know, I know the NHS and things under pressure and get scrutiny, but the people, though, were incredible, you know, the care and the compassion they showed me.

And then when I left there after about a week, 10 days, I went home and I think as the painkillers started working off on the drugs, I think that's when it really started for me. And I couldn't, I just found myself getting up in a morning, sitting in the same room from 10 o'clock till midnight, not wanting to see anything, not wanting to speak to anyone. You know, there's cameras outside my house all the time which didn't help. But it was just, actually, for the first time, it was like I didn't want to die, but I didn't know if I had it in me to carry on. So it was tough, and the only times I left the house, actually, was from medical appointments. So I come down to London, I go and see the surgeon or the dentist to get some teeth or whoever I had to see. And then I go to the office, Richard Thompson, our mutual friend. Mutual friend.

He runs the agency on with the mech a thing of it. So I get some nice food in and have an hour just eating and chatting to people. And that's when Rob Key, who's my boss, one of my best mates, I saw him for the first time. I just didn't want to face the world. I found comfort at home in a room. How important was your family? Because you're very, very tight with your family. I know a lot of your family.

How important were they to help steer you out of what must have been incredibly negative thought processes all day, every day? Yeah, massively. Because one of the things you want is, is like, they carry on almost as best they can. And it was me who was sat there. I'm sure I was, I wasn't easy. You know, I'd cry a lot. I'd get snappy, I'd get angry.

The kids are incredible. I think, you know, I've seen, I mean, did the documentary, Rachel warned them about what I was coming about, like, was carry on. Kids are actually very resilient, aren't they? More than you maybe think. Yeah. I think that, you know, it probably just,

it didn't affect them, probably the way you feared it might. But I had a laugh at Corey because we got doorstep by the press and he did a mini press conference. It was the younger one because he'd have been pressed and he'd have been what, two to and half at the time. And he wouldn't come near me to begin with because it was a mess. It's all good now.

But Rachel was strong, I suppose. She had to be for both of us. So they were incredible. The mum and dad are just always there. Your parents are brilliant. Yeah. What was your mum something? I can only imagine my mother.

that kind of situation. How was your mum about it? Yeah, it was interesting, isn't it? Because I come from obviously the north, an northern family, and one of the things, my dad, it's like you get on with things, didn't you? It's that, come on.

And not really mentioning it, just trying to carry on as normal as possible. Was that helpful? Yeah, yeah. But then almost as well, I think, I don't really know it was, I found it quite hard being around them or being around people

because I could see the impact it had had on them, you know, as a mom. they're seeing her son in that position. And she's seen me in a lot of positions and states over the years, but nothing like this. You've rebuilt your life fantastically well. You're back on television. We'll come to some of that.

How's always changed you, do you think? I think one of the main thing is, is I think you realize what's important and you realize how fragile, I suppose, life can be as well. And how it can turn in an instant. Like that. Yeah. I want to enjoy it.

Yeah, and it's not always been that easy for me at times. And, you know, it's going back to, you know, obviously the family, incredible, spending as much time I can with them and my friends, but then also doing things like I say, want to do and be more present. Do you have a bucket list now of actual stuff like, no? I don't think I ever have,

because I'm never quite sure what's going to happen next. And I've done things and been places and seeing things that I never knew existed, never mind having a bucket list. But I suppose the one thing is I'm more present. So I don't know about you, peers, but I think a lot of the time, especially with TV or cricket, you always look into the next thing or what's the next job or where am I going next,

and you don't actually allow yourself to just enjoy yourself right now. So I think that's a big driver. But yeah, I'm still figuring it out, Pierce, for honest. In the book, you go back over, obviously, cricket career. I'm delighted to say I make some appearances at your more notable moments. And actually, one of them really is a notable moment, 2009, it's the last time you play for England. It's at Lord's, the most hallowed turf in cricket history.

And you take five wickets for England. It's an amazing way to end playing for your country. And I happened to just, at the fortune, to have dinner with you that night, with our wives. And we went to a pub. We had a fantastic time. We had a red wine, Guinness. He talked about it in the book. And he had a great time with a paparazzi coming out.

And it was just hilarious, classic, I would say, Freddie Flintoff. night. And then not long after that, you sort of decided, I'm done with drinking. Yeah. And I remember thinking, I've had a lot of fun with you with alcohol over the years. And you just made a call and you stuck with it. I mean, you've been cleaned for how long now? No, long time, no, years. Years. How long? I think 10, 9, 10 years? Right. And I would never have thought you could do that. What was the catalyst for you to say, I'm actually done with this? Because he used to enjoy it, obviously. Yeah, I did.

And, you know, that night, it was a punch bowl. Pub won't. Yeah, it was, yeah. And then you went... Guy Ritchie's place. There's about 30 paparazzi outside after us, and you went out in all your glory. Here we are.

Here we are. And then we're like, actually, we're here for freight. Would you mind getting out of the way? No, I think it's not so much to drink, I suppose. I think it's the reasons I was drinking. You know, I had some great times. You know, ashes and games and going out with mates and nights like that. But then it's, it's a lot.

more understanding why I was drinking at times, whether it's a change in mood or try and create a reaction. Especially after retired because at 31 is everything I wanted to do and everything and then all of a sudden I've got nothing to do. And, you know, I suppose there's no coincidence that actually I got back on track once I stopped and then started building another career and doing other things. You look incredibly fit and well. Do you ever get a yearning for a drink Or is that right now? Do you think you're done for that? Yeah, I see it sometimes.

I think I'd be nice now, wouldn't it? And it's not something where I say never again. We'll just see. But at the minute, you know, I'm trying to get fit. I'm working with a lion's next generation. And we're going to Australia in a few weeks' time. So I'm getting fit. And if someone's taking my shirt off around the pool.

You talk very honestly about mental health in the book. And again, when I first got to start, to know you, you know, 20-odd years ago. You just, you know, you had the kind of persona of Freddie Flintoff, which became iconic in the 2005 Ashes, which was all shown on network television here, which made a big difference, I think, to the level of fame you guys enjoyed in that period. But then I was told by a few people that knew you really well, you know, there are two flintoffs, right? There's Freddie Flintoff, and there's Andrew Flintoff. His family call him Andrew. They don't call him Freddy. Freddy's like this kind of slightly caricature person.

I mean, how accurate was the fact that there were basically two of you? Yeah, it is. I remember 16 years of age being a professional cricketer for the first time. Going into a dressing room at Lancashire full of internationals and men. And at school, I was quiet. You had to be at the school I went to. I played cricket.

You know, he was like Billy Elliott, you know, playing cricket in the north of England where I grew up. So when I went in the dressing room, I realised, actually, I'm not going to survive this. And then started getting a bit of success. It was actually drinking initially. So when I was a bit older than that, we went on a tour,

and we were playing drinking games, and I had to do it with coke, and I had next about eight pints of coke, and it was horrible. It was like, just give it that Guinness. Let's try it with the Guinness. And all of a sudden, I could do that, and everyone was, wow, look at this fella, you know.

And all of a sudden, I was one of the gang, and it's probably developed from there. But sport is, it's incredible. You know, it's not normal. You get the chance to walk out in front of 30,000 people, people at loads or the Orval and you can be wherever you want to be and you walk out and you want to give the impression that you're bulletproof and you got it under control and you enjoy the crowd and you go with them you don't always feel like that but I think that was like

playing a character it's almost like an actor. For American viewers where did the Freddie nickname come from? Flintstone so the coach the fellow called John Stanluth he was coaching the second team at Lancashire and he just called me Fred in relation to Fred, Fred Flintstone, and it stuck. And I don't mind it, is it? It's all right. It just gets hard when you get older. So you're going on the school drop-off

or you're going, and I'm not quite sure what to introduce myself with him. Someone called me Andrew, and I'll just ignore them. I actually realise that's my name rather than Fred. What do you prefer being called now? I quite like Fred. But the public presumably call you Fred. Yeah, it's fine, it's all good,

and then you get, like, shown as Fred, but Andrew, you know, there's a few people. My mom, my dad, my wife, Steve Armisen, one of my teammates. David Lloyd, one of my coaches. And Kese calls me Trevor. Why Trevor? It's his middle name. There's another actually very poignant now, given what's happened since the book was published.

You talk about coming to L.A. when I was there, and we saw each other. And so I was in L.A. in L.A. filming, and I popped into C.P. And then you add, I think unnecessarily, I know, I know. No, it's too easy. It's okay. It's okay. I moved past it because I wanted a media perspective, how the press writes about mental health.

And you were doing a documentary. It was a really good documentary about mental health. And you said, when I was there, Piers says, have you spoken to Vinnie Jones? Because I knew Vinny very well. He lived out there. Amazing success story in movies, having been a big football star and Hod-Carry originally,

you know, but gone through a lot of very difficult things in his life, including, you know, in later years, the very sad death of his wife. And you rang him up and he said, yeah, come around, we've got to be done by 730s poker night, which is true. He used to play poker with all these movie stars and stuff. But when you saw Vinny, for example, what kind of perspective could he give you about mental health that really resonated? I think, because you put me on to him and then I phoned him all. And I was nervous about phoning Vinny Jones up. You know, he's Vinny Jones. Obviously, he's got his movie side, which you've all seen.

He was part of the crazy gang at Wimbledon. And you got this persona of what someone's going to be like. He's this big, hard fellow. And I phoned him up, and he couldn't have been more nice. He said, yeah, yeah, come over, come over. I was in his kitchen and he was setting up. And then he's so engaging. And he's so articulate.

And he was talking about his troubles. And then you realize actually this can happen to anyone. Even like the strongest person that you ever think, it's not like mental health, it's not selective on who it picks, it can hit anyone. And rightly or wrongly, I took some comfort in the fact that Vinnie Jones was able to talk so well and so openly about it. And it made me feel a bit more at ease about some of the things I've been through.

And, you know, we've seen it all over now. Unfortunately, I'm going to Ricky Atten's funeral. I was going to mention Ricky because you give a lot of credit to Ricky for helping you with your mental health stuff. And you say, you're filming a documentary of BBC. That's when we're talking about the hidden side of sports. I've always liked Ricky. Our careers run alongside each other.

He's his proper fighter, all hearts and guts, but also really warm, funny, vulnerable. So when he talked about his struggles, it flawed me. He opened up and with that meaning to so did I. I think that was the moment I realized I wasn't just presenting the thing I was in it. I thought that was so powerful when it happened. But now we had this appalling

situation where Ricky has taken his life. He's obviously he talked honestly about maybe doing that before. How did you feel when you heard what had happened? He's quite close to home in a lot of ways. Ricky one of the great men. I met him

years ago we did a thing for Sky Sports and I was went on the pads and he started hitting me. And I was a fan as well. So you got this, you got Ricky, he's charming and he's funny. Our careers ran parallel with each other at the height at the same time. I went to his fights against Costa Zoo and all these.

And I had nights out in the press club in Manchester and we've sung karaoke together. And I never knew all these things that he was struggling with till we sat down. And when we started talking, Obviously, he was so honest about what he'd been going through and how he felt. And then as he was talking, I was like relating to it.

It's like, I see, I felt like that. That's what I've been like. And then it just turned into a chat between two books being really honest. And I suppose that documentary changed and I wasn't going to give as much away about myself, but then felt obliged to actually, if he's doing this. And the similar things that we talked about,

Vinny, this working class hero, from Manchester. He goes into the ring, he fights all heart. He's funny. You see him doing stand-up routines at press conferences, and he feels like this. And then obviously what's happened over the past two weeks has been devastating

for obviously his friends, his family, but also anyone who's been in contact with Ricky. You know, I've been in contact with his manager speak here and obviously he's broken. When did you last see him or speak to him? I sat with him a while ago on a train. I got on a train. He'd been somewhere and we sat together

all the way back up to Manchester, quite unexpected. And I think it's like all these things, when something like that happens and you speak and everyone says he seemed fine, he seems all right, he was looking forward to fighting in the next few weeks out in Dubai, that there's almost a guilt of setting.

It's like how people didn't know. And the one thing I've found in recent years, over the past few years, it's happened to my more and more people. You know, we were Graham Forping cricket, who absolute great man, someone who is thought of so dearly by everyone he played with

and everyone he's coached. You know, you just feel like, I thought it would have known, but, you know, it's terrible. Today's show is sponsored by Oxford Natural, makers of the optimum day and optimum night all natural supplements. Thousands of Brits and Americans

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Pat Cummings, the captain of Australia. His injuries haven't cleared up in tunnel. It's like you may miss at least one, two tests. You're trying to say that without smiling? I am jubilant at this news. I'm not going to pretend otherwise. I mean, that's a massive... It is, well, you want to play him with him in, don't you?

Well, that's the interesting thing, because in 05, you guys took on the best of the best. But then McGrakeg got injured. Yeah, but that's the thing. But when he was... Yeah, he was so happy. Exactly! He stood on a cricket ball and then we're all walking all over.

But it feels a bit like that this time. Yeah. their captain, their leader, their best bowler, has basically done the Glenn McGrath. Yeah, I'm sure that in some ways the lads will be looking at that smiling, but then in others they think, actually, we do want to play against the best side.

And Pat Cummings, he's incredible, isn't it? He's led that side as the bowler. But looking at the two teams, it's going to be so good. It's probably a 50-50 game, isn't it? What do you make of this England team, then? What do you make of the way we play? Because in a way, your mate, Rob Keyes, fantastic guy, Baz McCullum,

the coach, Ben Stokes, very much a flint off warrior type of all-rounder. What they've cultivated is a team that plays basically in your image, right? It's aggressive, it's attacking, it's got a flare, it never takes a step back, it's always on the front foot. I mean, it's a flint-off mentality. Kind of. I think they've gone again, aren't they? You know, the job that Keezy, Baez and Ben have done is incredible.

You just can't wait to turn the TV on to watch England play cricket. That's not always been the case. I think we tried 2005, we nearly got there. But these lads are seeing it through. You know, the rate in which they score at, the way in which they play, more importantly, the way they are as lads as well. You talk about teen spirit and an environment.

You know, you walk into that dressing room and it's just the best place to be, you know, incredible cricketers, you know, Joe Rout for me, possibly. The best ever now? English? Best ever, I'd go further than English. Would you? Yeah, I just think he's...

It's the best of all time. He's up there, isn't he? Beyond the night there, Mount Rushmore type thing. And then you got the captain, Ben, England's second best all rounder. After both of them. He's just the leader of men. I was choosing an all-time great England team the other day, and I ended up choosing you, Ben, and Beefy.

Well, I would as well. Because why not? What a team, the three of you? Five, six, seven? Yes. Yes. You never get better, isn't. Six, seven, eight. You know, Beefy won't mind by an eight.

No, but it's so good. And I think one, to work in that now and be around it, but I think more important is a fan. You know, when Keyesie spoke about, you want to get involved, I want a part of this. I want to be involved in this because it's exciting. It's cricket how it should be played.

With good people as well. What else for you? I mean, do you have a plan? No. Do you care about having him? No. I mean, does one of the things of having a near-death experience said actually, well, okay, what will be will be?

Why bother making plans? Because you can all get thrown out anyway. It's quite loose anyway, but even more so now. Mike was saying before, one of the things is I love doing what I do with the Lions. I love that job. And you get asked other questions, but I don't see it as a stepping stone to anything else. At this moment in time, I'm working with these young lads and hopefully helping him. Including one of your boys.

Yeah, he's been on a few two. Rocky? Yeah, he's going right. Who I've seen footage of who bats exactly like you? Yeah, he plays the same shots. Yeah, he's a bit bigger. And Corey's brother, he's down at Kent. Yeah.

So that's interesting, you know. Do you think, I mean, what's it like being dad? I mean, obviously, I've been a dad on a touchline. When you're a dad on a touchlight and they're playing for England Lions or their county or whatever. What's that feeling like? Yeah, you know, the standard answer is the Rormey lads. However, you know, when we picked him, obviously you get some stick. You know, people saying this, that and the other.

one of them was quite funny on Twitter or X saying he's only picked him and then he can save on child care. But you just want him to do well. Yeah. You know, even as kids when they were younger, you sit there. I just want to sit on me on and just watch them

because whatever nerves I used to get playing, it's like times 10 much in your kids. And you got runs in one game in Australia and luckily I had my sunglasses on. And I was trying to play it really cool. Were you in two? I was trying not to be. Yeah, it was.

was like this lad is incredible. And then Corey's met his debut for Kent, played first class cricket this year and played in the one-day stuff, the Metro Bank. It's amazing, because I remember these kids and they were literally, but they were bored. You just see, because all the way through, they've carried probably extra pressure to the other kids

along with Michael Born's lad. And just to see him getting some success and doing what they want to do. It's not all been playing, saying, you know, I've got it wrong as a parent. But now, hopefully, they're going to be all right. In terms of your mental health, where are you now, do you think? I don't know.

Because you've been on quite a long roller coaster, predates the crash. Yeah. I suppose it's always work in progress. You know, I think the crash changed things a hell of a lot. We haven't even discussed the fact you're in a Morgan car. Nothing good. You can say that I was smiling. Jeez.

The moment I saw that hard Oh, here we go. He's done another. Yeah, I don't know. You know, after the crisis, I had all types of different treatment from trauma care to psychiatric care to cognitive test,

and this, that and the other. And I stopped after a while. And, you know, whether it's right or wrong, I've got to get on with this. And there are triggers and as I say, there's PTSD. and flashbacks and every time I've got to bed at night. Do you drive now?

Yeah, I've only been driving about four months. How do you find that? Yeah, I'm all right now. To begin with, I was a bit nervy. You know, even playing golf for a long period of time, I've taken golf up in the past few years and love it. I wouldn't drive the golf buggy. Really?

Yeah, and I can't walk because I mean, he's about, so I get me one of a minutes to drive. So I've been driving about four months now, and I'm all right now. It was an adjustment to begin with, just being sat behind the wheel and getting all them thoughts back. but I'm better than it was but I suppose it's just always

going to be something I've got to keep aware of I mean it's it's fascinating to see the way your life has played out just having known you throughout most of it through the really like apparently fun carefree times I mean I remember for example in the book you talk about the pedalo game and I remember I had dinner with you

I had dinner with you in Barbaros after you did you did And Daphne's. Yeah, and exactly, very good memory. I mean, a lovely dinner, but I remember that affecting you a lot more than people realised. You really felt you let everybody down, and you took that very to heart.

And I remember I've been quite taken aback, thinking, well, that's just another funny Fred escapade. You know, you'd been trying to get to a boat where there was a bit of a party, you took a peddler and you capsized, right? I mean, you can probably laugh about it now. But I remember, because of the opprobrium that fell on you at the time, I remember how seriously you took that,

and how much it hurt you. Yeah. And that made me realize there was a lot more to you perhaps than I'd realized. Yeah. I suppose with the peddlaw and then some of the other things that I've done,

you don't want to let people down. I remember Bumble when he was coaching me. David Lloyd. David Lloyd, yeah, he said, he said, don't do anything that your mum won't be proud of. Oh, that's one, isn't it? And with the peddlaw,

you know, I think after 2005, everyone took us into their arts, didn't it? And that side, you still talk about it. Now you saw the parades afterwards, you saw what it meant to cricket, and all of a sudden your life's elevated and you're doing more and more.

I think the 2006-7 ashes where we got beat 5-0 and I was captain, I didn't cover myself in glory. And then leading on to the pedlar, I felt I've let people down and had a sense of shame almost, and I wasn't quite right in myself. I only felt to let down

because you didn't reach the yacht. I mean, it's like, if you're going to do it, you've got to at least get there. I thought it was going to be in both of them. But it wasn't, it was a certain, Was it? I didn't know that. I didn't know that.

Yeah. So, yeah, I'm not sure he'd have bound it very funny. Was both of them even on it? No, I don't think he was, yeah. So you were going to rage Tim Rice's yacht without him knowing? Well, no, the plan was. We'd got beat against New Zealand and all the lads went out. And I wasn't going to go out, but then I got fed up in my room.

So I just went and had a few rumcocks at a bar and I went to another bar. I was drinking one of the umpires for a bit. a bit. And to get back, I had to cross the beach. I saw these boats out to see. I knew being both of them was on one of them. I thought it must be the big one. So I thought I'd be going and see him. And the only thing I could find to try and get there was a pedlar. And I couldn't get on it because the waves were breaking. And then security guard helped me back. And I woke up the next morning just covering in sand. It is like, peace in my life forever. Yeah, never again. Have you been on the pedal-o since?

Yeah. I went on one for a sketch for a sport relief. It was actually the first time I'd probably been on one. But even now, we're going on holiday. The moment you move in for one. The kids are like, should be, and I'm out. Yeah, but I could get a picture there. Well, you wouldn't have you stayed on it.

It would be like, it'd be like finally. Do your kids look at you and they, when they know all about, maybe you see the book, the boys are old enough now to read the book? What do you think they'll make of your life in totality? Vered. It's been varied. I think they love cricket, don't they? So they've always been interested on the cricket

and it's not something that I really speak about in the house or talk about too much. I remember years ago, they were playing the 2005 ashes on Sky and I was in the house and they're watching it and they were younger. And they're like looking at the TV and looking at me and he was, is that you? His fellow the bold-headed and an earring running in.

So we'd never really spoke about it, but it's happening more and more now. And I think from them, I think seeing me coach and seeing in a different light, they're happy with. How are you going to explain with your boys who are now playing top-level cricket that one of your greatest innings,

if not your greatest ever innings, 140 other against South Africa? I remember watching it. You bludgeoned South Africa's pace attack to all parts. according to your book it contains the revelation that you did this after drinking 13 pints the night before

with your mate, Army. Yeah, it wasn't in the plan as that. No, but how are you going to explain that they shouldn't also drink 13 pines? No, I'm stamping that out. I mean, I'm batting after 13 pints. It's due as I say, no, that's very much. The game's changed, the game's changed.

But that is, that was an incredible revelation to me. 13 pints, and then you weren't embedded like that? Yeah, I think it just freed me up. a little bit. He wasn't in the prime. Because your captain was a little concerned about what may happen when he saw the study of you. Well, he tried to give me a bollicking, didn't he? Michael Vaughn the night before. Just me and Steve Harmison, one of my teammates, got stuck in the bar. And then he was out overnight. So, Michael, the captain's game was over. And he came back in late and me and Steve was still there.

And he tried to have a go up me and it was, well, just let me back first. I'm going to get an hundred. And somehow, I did. But it was not the way I wanted to carry on my career. I'm going to my career. The worst moment of my life, but comfortably actually when I think about it, involved you. And it was the 2005 Ashes, the Oval, the final game. And we won. And you were on a balcony, and I was in a box with my brother, our younger brother, Rupert, good mate of yours.

And you started doing like, tonight, you know, we're going to party. And Rupert was, Fred's, we're going to drink with them, we're going to celebrate with England team. And then I suddenly remembered I had to go to Birmingham to do a book signing for my book, the insider at the time. So I got in a car and drove off to Birmingham and I started getting messages from my little brother. It was with you. 11 o'clock, 12 o'clock, 1 o'clock, 2 o'clock. And so it went on. And I came back the next day and I picked up a copy of the evening standard newspaper,

London's most prestigious newspaper. And the front page picture was you slumped in a chair in a chair, in a bar of a hotel and standing right behind you was my brother and that could have been me it could have been my iconic ashes moment that was the most missed opportunity

a most stupid decision I've ever made in my life but you was doing a book signing in Birmingham and even when I got there they weren't that bothered they said we should have just stayed there they'd take them on for the team in Birmingham now you're on Rupert what is the for you and just to wrap things up

but when you if I had the power to relive one moment from your cricket career. Which one would you choose? Of all of them? Good question. Your mind automatically goes back to failures to try and rectify him. However, I've just been talking about, it's easy to go back to 2005.

I have, as a kid, there my fondest member but then as a professional cricketer, that feeling in 2005, when they said we've won. and then we go back in the dressing room and not quite sure what to do with ourselves and experiencing emotions that I can't even explain or never knew I had.

And then you look out of the window and you walk back onto the pitch and you look around to see the crowd, the Union Jacks, the people, the St. George's Crosses, everyone singing and shouting and all come out for us. It was like, I never in my wildest dreams expected

any of this and it is incredible and just for the record who did piss in the garden at number 10 down the street Simon Jones was it? Yes fantastic

fantastic because the finger of suspicion lay on you for a long time yeah I got rumbolled in the cabinet room holding my own meeting really? Yeah I went so I went for a walk around the house because I had a few and then ended up just opening doors

so I ended up and I found this room and it was a cabinet room so I sat in the Prime Minister's chair with my feet on the table I think with a bottle of Beck Tony Blair was Prime Minister Yeah and just going around asking like question

like Home Secretary of you go Oh you know And then I got kicked out by a policeman A policeman came at the door He got all right Fred you've had your fun now Yeah so It wasn't I remember the I remember when you guys came out

in Trafalgar Square And the Open Top but I'd never seen scenes Like you've a cricket For football, you'd expect it. But that was the year that cricket became as big as football in this country. I think because 12 million watched it on terrestrial television, that made a big difference, I think. But it was such a joyous thing, wasn't it?

Yeah. And notwithstanding all the pitfalls that followed, I don't think you'd change anything, would you, from that whole time? No, no. It propelled you into a new level of fame and all the stuff that comes with it. It's like you got asked, didn't you? So how the games change in sports got more professional? professional and I've entertained the thought actually would I do it any differently?

I think nah no why would you Fred you should never change never I mean I think you've always been your own man I've always felt with you only a long time of enormous respect for you because it's always been true to yourself and this doesn't mean you've always known exactly what that is no but you've always been true to yourself and I think that's a really admirable quality you've never tried to be anybody else or never try to be something you're not there's two me anyway. There's not room for another. I feel like I've got a bit of Andrew and Fred today. Which is probably the best combination. I've just got peers.

You'll be devastated to learn. There's only one of me. And the real one's probably just as bad as this one. It's a beautiful thing. Freddie Finsthoff, coming home, The Moments That Made Me, is out now. It's a brilliant book. And actually, even if you are American, and you're wondering what the hell we've been talking about the last 40 minutes, it's actually a book about life, about humanity, about adversity, about adversity, about resilience, about all the things that make us tick. You sell it better than me. I know, mate. You should be paying me for this. But as he says on the back, a split-second decision is all it takes.

Decision that can change the course of a cricket match, maybe even change a course of a life. We all have them. How you deal with those moments can determine whether you live or die and what kind of life you have. And it's an amazing book for that reason. Fred, great to see you. It is great to see it. Honestly, I've been looking forward to this for a long time. Thank you. proudly independent. The only boss around here is me. If you enjoy our show, we ask only one simple thing. Hit subscribe on YouTube and follow Pierce Morgan Uncensored on Spotify and Apple Podcasts. And in return,

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