A British escape artist has been airlifted to hospital after his act went drastically wrong during rehearsals for a spin-off of America’s Got Talent.
Jonathan Goodwin, who is from Wales, reached the semi-final of Simon Cowell’s US talent show last year as well as the final of Britain’s Got Talent in 2019.
He was rehearsing at the Atlanta Motor Speedway in Hampton, Georgia, on Thursday when he fell dozens of feet to the ground after being crushed between two cars in midair, according to multiple reports.
NBC via Getty ImagesIllusionist Jonathan Goodwin pictured with AGT host Nick Cannon at last year’s semi-finals.
The stunt was supposed to see the escapologist free himself and fall underneath the vehicles before they collided.
The 41-year-old was “responsive” and “immediately taken to the hospital where he is continuing to receive medical care,” a spokesperson for AGT: Extreme said in a statement to People magazine.
“Our thoughts and prayers go out to him and his family as we await further updates on his condition,” the representative added.
A Henry County Sheriff’s Department statement said Jonathan was taken to hospital with severe injuries.
“He suffered severe injuries to his legs and several lacerations, and was airlifted to Grady Hospital,” the statement said.
“He was transported in serious condition, but is currently alive, alert and well.
“There are no plans for a criminal investigation at this time and any further investigations would be done by AGT.”
NBC has promoted AGT: Extreme, an eight-episode spin-off from its highly successful America’s Got Talent series, as a showcase of “the most outrageous, unique and jaw-dropping acts of enormous scale and magnitude that simply cannot be confined to a theater stage.”
Production on the show, which is set to broadcast in 2022, was suspended following the accident.
Earlier this week, Jonathan sparked engagement rumours after he and his girlfriend, Sherlock star Amanda Abbington, went Instagram official after nine months of dating.
