Andrew Flintoff questions BBC's 'disrespectful' labelling of kids on new show

Andrew Flintoff has criticised the BBC for how it has marketed his new TV show Freddie Flintoff's Field of Dreams.

The series is about the cricketing legend going back to his hometown of Preston to engage working class kids in the sport and make cricket more inclusive to the wider public.

Talking to the Daily Star for their Saturday magazine about the press release for the show calling the kids 'underprivileged', Flintoff said: “I thought it was disrespectful as well.

"‘Underprivileged’ is like a buzzword. It’s almost like clickbait. When the press release was put out and the kids were up in arms over it, I could not defend it."

Read more: Freddie Flintoff announces he's leaving Sky panel show 'A League of Their Own'

Since the initial announcement, the word 'underprivileged' has been replaced with 'reluctant'.

The Top Gear host added: "They just need a chance, some of these lads. They need somebody to back them."

Flintoff, who played international cricket between 1998 and 2009, appearing more than 200 times for England, is one of the few leading cricketers to not attend private school.

He also talked about turning down a scholarship at a private school to instead stay at a state comprehensive: "I didn’t want to be the poor kid at a posh school. It was the best decision I ever made.

"It was such a good grounding, I wouldn’t swap it."

Since retiring from cricket for good in 2015, Flintoff has appeared on a number of TV shows including Sky's panel show A League of Their Own and ITV's Cannonball.

He took over as a co-host of Top Gear in 2019 alongside Paddy McGuinness and Chris Harris.

As well as TV presenting, Flintoff also had a go at professional boxing, winning his only bout while also doing some darts commentary for Sky Sports.

Flintoff has also made documentaries about mental health after talking publicly about his battles with depression and eating disorders.

Freddie Flintoff's Field of Dreams airs on BBC One, Tuesday at 8pm.

Watch below: Andrew Flintoff discusses bulimia battle on GMB.