ENTERTAINMENT

Britain's Got Talent star Jonathan Goodwin paralysed

The escapologist nearly died twice after last year's accident during rehearsals for America's Got Talent

In Summary

•He was supposed to escape a straight jacket while upside down 30ft in the air in between two suspended cars.

•Ms Abbington said the Pembrokeshire stunt ace now uses a wheelchair.

Jonathan Goodwin was left paralysed after a stunt went wrong, his fiancee said
Jonathan Goodwin was left paralysed after a stunt went wrong, his fiancee said

Britain's Got Talent star Jonathan Goodwin has been left paralysed after a stunt went wrong, his fiancee Amanda Abbington has said.

The Sherlock actress said the escapologist nearly died twice after last year's accident during rehearsals for America's Got Talent: Extreme .

He was supposed to escape a straight jacket while upside down 30ft in the air in between two suspended cars.

Instead, Mr Goodwin became crushed between them as they caught on fire.

Mr Goodwin has performed in London's West End as one of The Illusionists
Mr Goodwin has performed in London's West End as one of The Illusionists

Ms Abbington, 48, told Jay Rayner's Out To Lunch podcast: "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."

Ms Abbington said the Pembrokeshire stunt ace now uses 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," she said.

Mr Goodwin, who was in the 2019 season of Britain's Got Talent, has remained "positive and upbeat, and so strong," she added.

"His courage and his strength is something that I just aspire to be like.

"He's just incredible, honestly, like so happy, just like a very happy, positive human being, just liquid sunshine. He's amazing."

The actress said the stuntman sent a voice note before his surgery to say there was a 50% chance he would not make it.

He told her he loved her and thanked her for the past few months of his life with her.

The couple were initially friends on social media for about 10 years. Abbington followed him as her son Joe thought his act was "amazing".

She said they connected after she split from fellow Sherlock actor Martin Freeman and he had divorced his wife.

At first, Ms Abbington said, they spent hours chatting on the phone each day before he flew to Vienna to meet her for the first time.

Within 30 minutes, Mr Goodwin proposed. The couple plan to marry this summer.

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