Freddie Flintoff returned to hosting duties for a special Christmas reboot of classic darts gameshow Bullseye and fans flocked to watch the remake

Fans flocked to the reboot of Bullseye with Freddie Flintoff with the show being crowned ITV’s most watched over the weekend.

The remake of the classic darts contest saw former sportsman Fred take to the oche with a new set of contestants. And the Christmas special on Sunday brought in a huge 3.3million viewers, with many praising the cricketer’s talents.

Taking to Twitter/X, one fan pleaded: “This already deserves a new series commissioned. They haven’t messed with the original format whatsoever and it shows. Flintoff absolutely class too. Get it sorted ASAP please ITV.” A second added: “Hopefully they will make a new series out of it.”

Others declared the show a success and labelled Freddie a “great presenter”, while there was also special praise for darts sensation Luke Littler. The teen whizz stunned as he through a perfect three darts with ease.

Fans loved the special Bullseye episode ( 
Image:
ITV)

It’s thought Bullseye’s final viewing figures could double or triple in total when catch up service ITVX’s figures are incorporated. And now, it’s claimed the show’s bosses are under pressure to bring it back permanently.

The game show was originally presented in the 80s and 90s by Jim Bowen. Former Ashes legend Freddie, 46, took over from the late comic’s old role for the one-off Christmas special. However, it’s though bosses are keen it will become a regular series in the future.

When Freddie announced the role, he said: “I love the darts and Bullseye was one of my favourite shows as a kid. I can’t quite believe I’ll get to host this Christmas special,” before repeating one of the former host’s famous catchphrases: “You can’t beat a bit of Bully!”

The role was Freddie’s first TV commission, besides his recent documentary Field of Dreams, since his horrific crash. The former cricketer and TV presenter nearly died during a horror crash in December 2022. The ex-England cricket ace was filming for Top Gear at Dunsfold Park Aerodrome in Surrey when disaster struck. He suffered serious injuries after the Morgan Super 3 trike he was driving, alongside a member of the film crew, somersaulted and smashed into the track.

His injuries included broken ribs and facial injuries, with the star needing to be airlifted to hospital. He stayed out of the spotlight since the crash but returned to TV in August for his Field of Dreams on Tour, where he helped coach an unlikely cricket team from Preston to tour India.