Simon Cowell’s America’s Got Talent: Extreme is ‘axed’ after stuntman Jonathan Goodwin was paralysed in freak accident
The show that has been running since 2006 has been ‘axed’, after Johnathan Goodwin suffered a terrifying accident
Simon Cowell’s AGT: Extreme has reportedly been “axed” after a stuntman was left paralysed by a freak accident.
Welsh daredevil Jonathan Goodwin, 42, is now wheelchair bound, after severing his spinal cord when he fell 30ft during a rehearsal.
The talent show’s creator Simon Cowell, has reportedly been horrified by the accident which happened when a fireball stunt went wrong.
Jonathan Goodwin appeared on ITV’s Lorraine earlier this year, alongside his fiance and Sherlock star Amanda Abbington.
Speaking at the time, Goodwin said: “It wasn’t the plan.
“It was pretty gnarly. It sounds very dramatic sitting here but I did nearly die.”
Jonathan Goodwin was hospitalised for four months following the accident and is now paralysed.
A source told The Sun that Simon has faced a series of difficulties as he tries to revamp AGT: Extreme, while making it as safely as possible.
The source continued: “Insurance was proving difficult, which threw a spanner in the works. Joanathan’s incident during rehearsals was harrowing.
“He was a total professional but things went wrong and he plunged 30ft while trying to escape from a straitjacket as he hung upside down in mid-air.
“Simon was horrified. He’s now focused on other projects.”
In the UK, Cowell’s other television project Walk the Line has also been cancelled, after running for just one series.
Simon Cowell is now reportedly focusing on safer versions of the Got Talent franchise, including a spinoff featuring magicians.
Speaking just after the incident, Goodwin’s fiance Amanda told the Out to Lunch podcast: “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.”