Meet Freddie Flintoff’s glamorous wife he ‘put through hell’

Freddie Flintoff has been supported through his severe injuries by his four children and wife Rachael Woods, who the star married in 2005.

However, the pair’s union hasn’t been easy, with Freddie confessing that he hasn’t been the best husband due to his battles with his mental health and drinking issues. The former cricketer confessed that he had put his beloved “through hell” when speaking about their relationship.

Keep scrolling to see all you need to know about Freddie’s life with his wife…

First meeting

Freddie and Rachael first crossed paths in 2002 at the Edgbaston Cricket Ground. Rachael had headed to the venue where Freddie was playing in order to promote her business, Strawberry Promotions.

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Reflecting on their first encounter, Rachael told the Daily Mail in 2007: “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.

“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.”

Wedding and children

Following a three-year romance, Freddie and Rachael got married at the Pavilion Road Hotel in Knightsbridge, London.

Unearthed photos show the happy newlyweds posing for photos inside a library area with stacked bookshelves, oversized paintings and a cosy fireplace with white flowers draped across the mantel.

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The bride looked stunning in a strapless wedding dress with a fitted bodice, a textured, princess-style meringue skirt and a statement train. She teamed it with a cathedral-length veil pinned into her half-updo, with honey-blonde highlighted wispy bangs framing her face.

The pair have since welcomed four children: Holly, Corey, Rocky, and Preston.

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Their two eldest sons have already made waves in the world of cricket, with both Corey and Rocky playing for Lancashire. Corey currently bats in the middle order for the Lancashire Under-18 side while Rocky signed his first professional deal for Lancashire back in June after making a century for the club’s second XI in April.

Back in 2009, Freddie hinted at his son’s interest in cricket during an interview with The Guardian. “Corey’s got his little bat and he likes playing,” he explained. “But he likes football as well. And jigsaws.”

Marital issues

Freddie has been candid about how he put his wife “through hell” due to his mental health issues, bulimia diagnosis and previous alcohol addiction.

Freddie started drinking at the age of 17, describing himself as a “competitive drinker”. With frequent celebrations during his cricketing career, this became worse and he would often return home early in the morning after being out drinking.

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In his 2015 memoir, Second Innings, the father-of-four wrote: “Looking back, I feel for the missus. She used to get the worst of me. 

“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.”

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The star later called himself “selfish” over his previous behaviour and said he was lucky that Rachael had stuck by his side. He confessed: “You can understand why cricketers’ marriages break down. If the shoe was on the other foot, I might have just said, ‘You know what, sod this’.”