Paralysed Britain’s Got Talent star Jonathan Goodwin seen for first time in a wheelchair as he shares picture with fans
BRITAIN'S Got Talent star Jonathan Goodwin has shared his first picture in a wheelchair after being paralysed in a dangerous stunt.
The 42-year-old nearly died when he fell on his head from 30ft above the ground while rehearsing a daring escapology act.
Despite life-changing injuries that include losing a kidney and severing his spinal cord, Jonathan remains positive.
Smiling with his dog on his lap, he wrote on Instagram: "6 months ago I went to rehearse something and left this little hairy monkey waiting patiently for me…he didn’t see his dad again until just a couple of weeks ago and when he finally did, dad had new cool wheels.
"A lot has changed in the last 6 months, but love is a constant and I’m very very loved. Looking forward to my next chapters and being a roll model."
In the ill-fated escape, Jonathan tried to break free from a straight jacket while suspended upside down between two cars.
Read More on Britain's Got Talent
However, the timing was misjudged and the cars were released too early, causing the escape artist - who has appeared on both BGT and AGT - to be crushed between them as they caught on fire, leading to horrific injuries.
Speaking about the incident, his fiancée actress Amanda Abbington, 48, 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."
She added to Out To Lunch podcast with Jay Rayner: "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."
Despite the life-altering injuries, Amanda explained he has remained "positive and upbeat and so strong".
"His courage and his strength is something that I just aspire to be like," she said.
"He's just incredible, honestly, like so happy, just like a very happy, positive human being, just liquid sunshine. He's amazing."
The actress also revealed the stuntman sent her a voicemail before his surgery explaining that there was a 50 per cent chance he would not make it.
He told her he loved her and thanked her for the last couple of months of his life with her.
The couple had previously been friends on social media for around 10 years, with Amanda following his content as 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 - and when Jonathan had divorced from his wife.
Read More on The Sun
Amanda revealed that at the beginning of their relationship, they spent hours talking on the phone every day before he flew to Vienna to meet her in person for the first time.