Freddie Flintoff offered to step in to do some rowing on 'Don't Rock the Boat' - but was "really put off" when he saw Craig Charles' plight on the show's first day.

Freddie Flintoff

Freddie Flintoff

The former England cricketer hosts the new series alongside AJ Odudu, but he told the two teams of celebrities he would be prepared to swap his microphone for an oar if they were in dire need, only to think twice when 'Red Dwarf' star Craig had issues at both ends due to the choppy conditions.

He said: "I did offer, I said, 'If anyone is struggling I don't mind getting in a boat to help out.'

"But after the first day, seeing Craig not knowing which end to put the bucket to catch stuff from really, really put me off."

Freddie found it "unbelievable" watching on from the sidelines at times, because as well as Craig's sea sickness, there was politician Tom Watson rowing for more than five hours without a break.

Speaking on 'Lorraine', he added: "Look at Tom Watson - who would've thought the deputy leader of the Labour Party would be doing all this rowing? It's been unbelievable."

Freddie may have been pleased he didn't end up taking to the seas himself, because he avoided any rowing-related injuries.

But he wasn't so fortunate during a charity bike ride in 2012 - recently admitting he had to see a doctor after his member went numb and was "like a dead fish" following the 2,872 mile cycle.

He said: "It just suddenly went numb, as if I’d trapped it in a door. It was like a dead fish.

“I said to the medic, ‘Doc, I’m afraid you’re going to have to have a look at my old fella, I can’t feel it’.

“He took a look and was quite blasé, ‘Oh, that’s quite common in cyclists.’

"I was quite taken aback. Apparently, it was to do with something called the penile nerve.

“The old fella only started to resurrect itself about three days after I arrived in London.”