Jennifer Ellison has shared how she was rushed to hospital after jumping out of a helicopter on SAS: Who Dares Wins.
The former Brookside star took part in the gruelling Channel 4 that pits contestants against harsh environments all around the world. The course has been designed to be replicate a notoriously difficult UK Special Forces programme.
Jennifer signed up for the show alongside other famous faces including Amber Gill and Fatima Whitbread.
READ MORE: Channel 4 SAS fans 'in tears' as they watch Jennifer Ellison 'paralysed' with fear
One episode showed the celebrity contestants made to jump from helicopters in pairs and freefall off a cliff. For Jennifer it was especially terrifying as she has a "paralysing" fear of heights.
But as well as the psychological pain, Jennifer was left in agony and rushed to A&E after being "smashed" in the ribs and stomach as she hit the water below. On Wednesday, the 38-year-old posted a series of photos that showed what the accident had done to her body.
Jennifer's body is covered in deep bruising in the snaps. She shared the post to show "the reality of the SAS course and what my body actually went through".
Part of the caption reads: "I think even my eyeballs were bruised. I took these pics the night I left the course. I’m literally covered in bruises from head to toe! I was in serious pain. But what was going on on the inside was worse.
"When I jumped out the helicopter as soon as I hit the water I remember thinking s***! It was just like the moment I felt my ice boot smash into my head in Dancing on Ice. I remember coming to the surface and thinking what on Earth have you done?!
"Because my water bottle was attached to my waist band and full of water and as soon as I hit, it smashed into my ribs and stomach. For the rest of the course I literally couldn’t take a deep breath, so everything was so hard, the runs, the monkey bars, the bear crawls even just getting up off the bed.
"I knew I’d done something bad. But I knew what I’d signed up for and there was no way I was quitting."
Jennifer said her breathing became worse when she got home and the pain was "horrific". She was then rushed to A&E, where she was told she had fractured two ribs and suffered a bleeding spleen, and had a "really nasty" lung infection.
She added: "My point is not to gain sympathy but to show what your mind and body is actually capable of. I literally could not run up the stairs before I went in.
"The thought of everything terrified me, I was definitely the least fit in there and the one who would most likely throw in the towel when things got scary! But just look what my mind achieved I said I will never quit and I didn’t so I pushed myself beyond my limits, powered through the pain and made my kids proud. I have a new gained respect for how strong I actually am! Thank you SAS".
Channel 4 has been approached for comment.
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