'Britain’s Got Talent' star Jonathan Goodwin paralysed and in wheelchair after stunt gone wrong

Nola Ojomu
·2 min read
AMERICA'S GOT TALENT --
Daredevil Jonathan Goodwin has been left paralysed when a stunt went horribly wrong (Trae Patton/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty Images via Getty Images)
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Britain’s Got Talent star Jonathan Goodwin has been left paralysed for life and confined to a wheelchair after a dangerous stunt went wrong.

The daredevil escapologist was injured during an 14 October rehearsal for America's Got Talent: Extreme at the Atlanta Motor Speedway in Georgia.

At the time, TMZ reported that Goodwin had been put in a straight jacket and suspended 70 feet in the air by his feet, alongside two hanging vehicles.

The plan was for the 42-year-old to miraculously free himself and fall onto a strategically placed air mattress below.

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Instead, Goodwin was squished between the vehicles and the cars unexpectedly exploded, which caused him to fall and hit his head. Goodwin was then airlifted to the hospital, and the show temporarily stopped production.

Speaking about the incident, his fiancée Amanda Abbington revealed: "He fell 30 feet 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."

Watch: America's Got Talent contestant Jonathan Goodwin was released from hospital back in February following stunt-gone-wrong during rehearsal

Read more: 'Britain's Got Talent' - The 10 biggest scandals

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Yahoo UK TV Quizzes - test your knowledge (click above)

During her appearance on Out To Lunch podcast with Jay Rayner, the 48-year-old actress added: "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."

Abbington explained that her partner had remained positive and upbeat despite his life-changing injuries, adding: “His courage and his strength is something that I just aspire to be like”.

Jonathan Goodwin during a photo call for the West End opening of The Illusionists: Direct from Broadway at the Shaftesbury Theatre, London.
Jonathan Goodwin performing a stunt for the West End opening of The Illusionists: Direct from Broadway at the Shaftesbury Theatre, London.

The couple had previously been friends on social media for around 10 years, with Abbington following his content because her son Joe thought his act was "amazing".

She explained that they connected after she split with fellow Sherlock actor Martin Freeman and separated from another partner.

Watch: Ant McPartlin needed medical attention on Britain's Got Talent set