Freddie Flintoff eaten by the Loch Ness monster – great front page!
Danielle de Wolfe discovers A League Of Their Own Road Trip: Loch Ness To London
“Are you going to try to get me on conspiracy theories? Because I love ’em,” declares former England cricketer Andrew ‘Freddie’ Flintoff with a grin. “Moon landings, Big Foot, flat Earth, I love all this.”
It’s precisely the sort of jovial chatter we’ve grown to know and love from the 43-year-old, particularly when it comes to hit Sky television series A League Of Their Own (or ALOTO as it’s affectionately known by many).
Together with former England footballer Jamie Redknapp and comedian Romesh Ranganathan, the trio have, in the past, found themselves tangled up in all manner of mischief.
With previous instalments of the sport-meets-comedy road trip taking in the radiantly sunny climes of the US, along with the vibrant contours of Europe, the latest home-grown spin-off comes complete with the slightly less appealing addition of cloud and precipitation.
“Do you know what, it was a chance to see more of Britain,” says Flintoff.
“At that time of year, in the past, we’ve been down Venice Beach and Los Angeles and exploring them – we’re playing basketball and we’ve got a pair of shorts on.
“This time, we’re in Scotland, in the winter, being chucked in a loch.”
Spanning the length and breadth of the nation, A League Of Their Own Road Trip: Loch Ness To London is every inch the comedyfuelled adventure.
“It’s bonkers, that’s the thing,” says Flintoff.
“A League of Their Own started 10 years ago; we’ve done 20 studio shows and if you’d seen the first one, you probably wouldn’t have thought we’d get a second.
“Now we’re doing all these road trips and things, it’s not the direction I thought my life would go in but I’m loving it.
“I’d love to believe that there’s something in there,” says Flintoff of the first episode, shot on the shores of Loch Ness.
“When we got put in, you still have in the back of your mind that there’s something down there – whether it’s a monster or just a big fish or something prehistoric, I’m not quite sure.
“But I’m invested in it, me. It’s so deep there could be anything in there.”
It was an opening challenge that saw Flintoff contemplating what his final moments might look like should the legends of Nessie prove to be true.
”What a way to go, eh?” says Flintoff with a grin. “Not quite what I’d expect; I’d expect it in Preston town centre with a kebab on my chest.”
“That would be a great front page though,” interjects Redknapp gleefully. “’Freddie Flintoff eaten by the Loch Ness monster’.”
Flintoff, Redknapp and Ranganathan find themselves reunited with former ALOTO star and comedian Jack Whitehall, courtesy of Covid-imposed travel alterations.“we knew it was going to be under different restrictions but we got a little bit lucky.
“Jack (Whitehall) would have been promoting his film with The Rock, but because he hasn’t got any work on, all of a sudden Jack went ‘all right, yeah, that will be great fun, let’s go and do a road trip!’
● A League Of Their Own Road Trip: Loch Ness To London arrives on April 8 on Sky One and NOW TV.