Top Gear hero Andrew ‘Freddie’ Flintoff was lined up to star as a telly detective – before being stumped.
Crime writer Lynda La Plante wanted him to act in her TV drama Prime Suspect 1973 opposite Alun Armstrong.
She revealed that she met with the former England cricket ace and he was up for the part.
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Lynda said: “As for the part of DCI Bradfield, that was an even sorrier saga. Of course, I came out of left field with my first suggestion but I really did think it would work.
(Image: Tim P. Whitby/Getty Images)
“I’d been glued to the sports game show A League of Their Own hosted by James Corden.
“The ex-cricketer Freddie Flintoff captained one team and I found myself drawn in by him.
“What an interesting Bradfield he might make, I thought.”
In her new book Getting Away with Murder, Lynda told how she met the 46-year-old sportsman to tap him up.
She said: “After I contacted Freddie’s manager and met with Freddie I put it to him: ‘Have you ever thought of acting?’
“’I’d love to,’ he answered, although he admitted that a lead part scared him. ‘You have something,’ I reassured him.
“And he did – a quiet charisma.”
But Lynda’s plan was hit for six by executives at the television production company who went with actor Sam Reid instead.
She added: “Freddie was due to travel to Australia shortly afterwards but while he was there he agreed to put together a short tape of him acting out a scene, which I enthusiastically showed.
“To me, it would have been such a coup to give him his first major acting role.
“’He’s not good enough.’ That was the immediate response.
“It felt as though he’d hardly been considered. Back to the drawing board, I thought.”
Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk
