Britain's Got Talent escapologist Jonathan Goodwin almost died after a stunt went wrong.
Daredevil Jonathan, who was in the final of ITV talent show in 2019, has been left paralysed and in a wheelchair after rehearsing for the show America's Got Talent: Extreme went horrifically wrong. The stuntman is engaged to actress Amanda Abbington, known for starring in Mr Selfridge.
She said that her partner “nearly died twice” following the horror accident in October 2021. He was left in a critical condition after plunging 30ft to the ground during a suspension stunt at the Atlanta Motor Speedway in Georgia.
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He was supposed to land on an air mattress to break his fall. Unfortunately, instead, he ended up sandwiched between two cars while clad in a straightjacket, which then burst into flames. Jonathan suffered broken and shattered bones and severe burns, which saw him stuck in hospital for four months.
Speaking on restaurant critic Jay Rayner’s Out to Lunch podcast Amanda said: "He smashed in between the two cars and the cars set on fire. He fell 30ft and lost a kidney, broke both shoulder blades, shattered both legs, third degree burns, broke his spine and severed his spinal cord and nearly died. And then on the operating table he nearly died again."
Amanda told Jay: "He's been in rehab since October. He’s paralysed now he’s in a wheelchair. Unless there’s a kind of stem cell surgery or that thing that Elon Musk is designing with the little chip, he’ll be like that forever.”
But she proudly added: "He's incredible. He's so positive and upbeat and so strong, so happy. A very happy positive human being. He's liquid sunshine."
On the day that Jonathan got out of hospital, he took to Instagram to share the good news. He wrote: "Four months later… finally out of hospital. My birthday today… can’t think of a better way to spend it than with my love."
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