Entertainment

Andrew Flintoff and Luke Littler throw darts together in Bullseye special

Flintoff has made a steady return to the public eye since his car crash at the Top Gear test track in 2022.

Andrew Flintoff before day three of the Third Rothesay Men’s Test at The Kia Oval, London
Andrew Flintoff before day three of the Third Rothesay Men’s Test at The Kia Oval, London (John Walton/PA)
By Hannah Roberts, PA Entertainment Reporter

Andrew “Freddie” Flintoff and darts pro Luke Littler beat the clock to win a charity challenge in a Bullseye Christmas special.

The popular darts-themed quiz show, originally fronted by late comedian Jim Bowen from 1981 until 1995, returned on Sunday evening with special guest Littler.

The 17-year-old and Flintoff, 47, teamed up for a round inspired by the Bronze Bully Challenge from the original series, which saw pros attempting to win money for charity.

Master of ceremonies Richard Ashdown explained: “Freddie and Luke’s challenge is to go round the clock and hit every number from one to 20, ending on the bullseye.

“They’ll be working together, but there is a twist.

“Freddie just needs to hit the correct number to progress, but Luke can only hit doubles or trebles.”

Up against the clock, Flintoff had around 10 seconds to hit the bullseye to complete the challenge, after the pair successfully worked their way around the board.

The former England cricket captain managed to make the target on his third throw to rapturous applause from the audience.

It comes after teenage sensation Littler won the Grand Slam of Darts in November and won the 2024 BBC Young Sports Personality of the Year award earlier in the month.

Luke Littler arriving for the world premiere of Sky documentary Game Of Throws: Inside Darts
Luke Littler arriving for the world premiere of Sky documentary Game Of Throws: Inside Darts (Jonathan Brady/PA)

Flintoff was also joined by competitors Kenny and Tony from Yorkshire, Kim and Curtis from Lancashire, and Mary and Vicky from County Durham.

He unveiled a speedboat as a joke prize, with the real mystery prize later revealed to be an electric red Mini Cooper.

Kenny and Tony earned a number of prizes with the help of Littler, including a luxury Christmas hamper, electric toothbrushes, and a trip to Cornwall.

Elsewhere, Kim and Curtis missed out on Bully’s mystery star prize when they failed to score 101 points with six darts.

In August, Flintoff was seen in the second series of his cricketing show where he spoke publicly about a crash he had while filming hit TV show Top Gear.

The incident, which left him with facial and rib injuries, happened at the motoring show’s test track at Dunsfold Aerodrome in Surrey in December 2022.

The BBC “rested” Top Gear for “the foreseeable future” in 2023, after reaching a financial settlement with Flintoff, with the agreement reportedly worth £9 million.

He has made a steady return to the public eye since and was appointed head coach of the Northern Superchargers in The Hundred in late 2023 and is now England Lions head coach.

In November, Disney+ announced it had teamed up with Flintoff for a 90-minute film charting his “return to cricket following his life-altering car crash in 2022”.