Freddie Flintoff is famed for being a professional cricket player, but he’s also been lighting up our TV screens as the host of hit shows like Top Gear and has kept audiences captivated with his personal documentaries. His latest venture, Flintoff, is set to entertain fans on Disney+ this April.

The 47-year-old athletic superstar, who will appear on The Jonathan Ross Show on 19 April, maybe a familiar face in the media world, but he’s managed to keep his private life discreet.

Behind the scenes, Freddie – whose real name is Andrew – enjoys a strong family unit with his wife, model Rachael Flintoff. They have navigated over 20 years together and are raising four children.

Their love story started in 2002 at Edgbaston Cricket Ground when Rachael represented her events business, Strawberry Promotions.

In an endearing revelation to the Daily Mail in 2007, Rachael reminisced about their first meeting, saying: “He really wasn’t my type physically, because I always go for dark men, but I thought he was the funniest guy I had ever met.”

She recounted how Freddie didn’t give up after their initial encounter: “He got hold of my mobile number and texted me a couple of times, and we met up for a drink. I was pretty much bowled over by his charm.”

Freddie’s perseverance obviously paid off, leading to three years of dating before they sealed their bond in matrimony at the lavish Pavilion Road Hotel in Knightsbridge back in 2005. Their journey together had already begun a year earlier with the birth of their first child, Holly, setting the stage for their growing family, reports LancsLive.

In 2006, Freddie and Rachael welcomed their son Corey, followed by the birth of Rocky in 2008 and Preston in 2019, named after Freddie’s hometown. Now 17, Rocky has followed in his father’s footsteps as a cricketer for Lancashire County Cricket Club.

Freddie has occasionally spoken publicly about his relationship with his wife, Rachael, including in his 2015 memoir Second Innings: “My Sporting Life. In the book, he discussed his struggles with alcohol during the height of his cricket career and expressed his gratitude for Rachael’s support.

“Looking back, I feel for the missus. She used to get the worst of me,” Freddie wrote. “She didn’t come out and celebrate when we won – that was with the lads – and I’d rock in at five in the morning, stinking and falling over. When we lost she’d see me drowning my sorrows in the corner. And then your career is all over.”

After retiring from cricket in 2010, Freddie admitted to being “actually selfish as a person” and felt fortunate that Rachael had stuck by him. He credited her with helping him “get over so many problems.”

The Jonathan Ross Show airs on ITV1 on Saturday at 10.20pm