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'America's Got Talent: Extreme' officially halts production after contestant is severely injured in stunt gone wrong
Suzy Byrne
·Editor, Yahoo Entertainment
Mon, October 18, 2021, 10:52 AM·2 min read
America’s Got Talent: Extreme has officially halted production after contestant Jonathan Goodwin was hospitalized after a horrific accident last week.
"Our thoughts and prayers remain with Jonathan Goodwin and his family as he continues to recover from his accident on Thursday," an AGT production spokesperson tells Yahoo Entertainment. "In order to focus on the wellbeing of our crew, we will be temporarily pausing production on America's Got Talent: Extreme and will resume the last few days of filming at a later date. The health and safety of our cast and crew continue to be our priority."
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Goodwin, a 41-year-old British daredevil whose Instagram bio calls him the "world's greatest theatrical stunt performer," was severely injured on Thursday night on the Georgia set of the new series, which is a spin-off of NBC competition series America's Got Talent. The stuntman was crushed by two cars, which then erupted into flames during his act, which was filmed at the Atlanta Motor Speedway.
He then fell a reported 40 feet to the ground and missed the airbag on which he was supposed to land, falling on his head instead, according to a 911 call obtained by The Sun. The production spokesperson said Goodwin was responsive while being airlifted to the hospital for care.
Goodwin talks about his "insane tricks and illusions" in this 2016 interview:
Man Puts Straightjacket And Goggles On, Then Gets Locked Upside Down In Water Filled Container
Doctors has Jonathan Goodwin on the show to talk about his insane tricks and illusions.
A graphic video obtained by TMZ shows the rehearsal gone wrong. Goodwin, known for dangerous stunts, was in a straight-jacket and was supposed to fall underneath the cars before they collided. However, the timing was off, the cars crushed him and then he fell to the ground, missing his mark. The outlet reported that production sources who witnessed the accident said it was so horrific they thought Goodwin had died.
His condition is unknown beyond the production company saying he "continues to recover." TMZ reported he was rushed to the hospital in critical condition, had surgery and is in a trauma unit.
A rep for Goodwin has not responded to request for comment. However, a spokesperson for the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) tells Yahoo the regulatory agency "is aware of this incident and has opened an inspection."
Goodwin was on America's Got Talent last year, doing a death-defying fire act, but this new spin-off — with judges Simon Cowell, Nikki Bella, Travis Pastrana and host Terry Crews — has been touted by NBC as "the most outrageous, unique and jaw-dropping acts of enormous scale and magnitude that simply cannot be confined to a theater stage."
Goodwin discussing his AGT stunt last year:
‘AGT’s’ Jonathan Goodwin Wishes His Fire Act Had Been Even Bigger!
“America’s Got Talent” contestants Kameron Ross, Jonathan Goodwin and the Spyros Bros chatted with Access Hollywood about the live rounds on the hit NBC show. “AGT’s” live shows air Tuesdays and Wednesdays at 8/7c on NBC.
AGT: Extreme was supposed to debut over the summer, but the premiere was pushed back to 2022.
Cowell created the Got Talent franchise through his company Syco Entertainment. America's Got Talent has aired since 2006 and there are spin-offs in nearly 70 countries. This is the first Extreme edition.
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– Reporting by Taryn Ryder
