‘Houdini’ stunt horror
Escapologist is paralysed after being crushed and burnt in car feat for TV
AN escapologist who was caught in a massive explosion when a dramatic stunt went horribly wrong has been left paralysed.
Jonathan Goodwin, 42, was crushed between two cars as they collided and caught fire while he was hanging upside down and attempting to escape from a straitjacket.
His fiancee, Sherlock star Amanda Abbington, said the 2019 Britain’s Got Talent finalist nearly died twice after the incident.
He was recording the stunt – evoking the straitjacket escapes of the legendary Harry Houdini –
‘He’ll be like that for ever’
for America’s Got Talent: Extreme in October last year.
Shocking footage shows the two cars being released into the path of the stuntman as he writhes around and frees himself from his restraints, before they collide and trap him in a huge fireball.
Miss Abbington, who said the cars were set free too early, told the Out To Lunch with Jay Rayner podcast: ‘He fell 30 feet and lost a kidney, broke both shoulder blades, shattered both legs.
‘[He had] third-degree burns, broke his spine and severed his spinal cord – and nearly died. And then on the operating table he nearly died again. 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.’
Mr Goodwin was released from hospital in February. Miss Abbington said her fiance, whom she plans to marry this summer, is staying positive despite his injuries. 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 revealed the former stuntman sent her a voicemail before his surgery explaining there was a 50 per cent chance he would not make it, telling her he loved her and thanking her for their last couple of months together. They had been friends on social media for around ten years after Miss Abbington followed his content because her son Joe thought his act was ‘amazing’.
She said they connected after she split from fellow Sherlock star Martin Freeman and separated from another actor – and when Mr Goodwin divorced his wife.
Miss Abbington revealed they spent hours talking on the phone every day at the start of their relationship before he flew to Vienna to meet her in person. The actress said he proposed within half an hour of meeting her.