Reality TV shows rely on celebrity talent — but will the rich and famous now think twice about entering “The Jump”?
On screen talent can make thousands of dollars from putting themselves in the spotlight but British broadcaster Channel 4’s winter sport show is not for the faint of heart.
Beth Tweddle, an Olympic bronze medal-winning gymnast, was the seventh contestant to suffer injury in the third series of the show which sees public figures compete in various winter sport events.
She was airlifted to hospital in Austria on Saturday after suffering a fall in training and has undergone surgery on her back.
Tweddle has “moved her hands and feet” after an operation which fused fractured vertebrae in her neck.
“The Jump is now in its third series and since launch 46 celebrities have taken part successfully,” a Channel 4 spokesperson told CNN.
“Though it is a new course the events have been designed to be no more difficult than in previous years and all contributors have undertaken a rigorous training program to prepare them for the show.
“All winter sports carry some element of risk but in light of the number of injuries this year, Channel 4 has asked the producers to review safety procedures again to further reduce the prospect of accident.”
Tweddle has announced she is leaving the show and said that the past 48 hours have been “very scary.”
The 30-year-old, who won six European titles and a Commonwealth Games gold, retired in 2013.
“Thank you so much for your support and concern,” Tweddle said in a statement on her website
Tweddle’s parents, Ann and Jerry, said that “early medical indications were positive” after their daughter’s surgery.
The surgery involved taking a piece of bone from her hip to fuse the two fractured vertebrae and pin them together.
“It was a scary time for all of us and we’re just very grateful that the operation was a success,” the statement added.
Tweddle is the latest star to leave the show after the departure of Olympic swimming champion Rebecca Adlington.
Adlington, the British swimmer who won two gold medals at the Beijing Games in 2008, left after suffering a dislocated shoulder while attempting a ski-jump.
She told the show’s host, Davina McCall, that the fall was “literally the worst thing that has ever happened to me, it was worse than childbirth.”
Other contestants to have suffered injuries include former 100 meter Olympic gold medalist Linford Christie as well as soap stars Sid Owen, Mark Francis Vandelli, James Argent and Louisa Lytton.
