John Whaite has revealed he was rushed to hospital after being run over in what he described as a near-fatal accident.
The former winner of The Great British Bake Off, 36, shared details of the incident in a post on Instagram, explaining that he was struck by a car on Tuesday night while crossing the road.
Describing the moment, Whaite said he “rolled up the bonnet, damaging it and the windscreen, before splatting onto the road” and then crawled to safety on the pavement. He added that a passer-by stopped to help, wrapping a coat around him and waiting until an ambulance arrived.
Whaite was taken to hospital, where doctors carried out scans and examinations. He said medics later told him that his size and muscle mass may have saved his life.
In the post, he wrote: “Last night I got run over (seriously). I rolled up the bonnet damaging it and the windscreen, before splatting onto the road and crawling to the pavement where some angel of a human threw his coat around me and waited with me for an ambulance.
“The doctors said, ‘Thank God you’re 16 stone of muscle because it could have been fatal.’”
He added: “Moral of the story – build strong muscle and core strength, and don’t wear black while crossing the road in the dark when an idiot comes speeding without looking.”
Whaite later clarified his comments about the driver, saying he did not know how fast the car was travelling. “For the avoidance of doubt, in my last post I said ‘speeding’. I used the term figuratively rather than literally,” he explained. “I don’t know what speed the driver was going. I meant it was sudden and shocking.”
Reassuring fans about his condition, Whaite said he had been “scanned and poked and prodded” and confirmed he was otherwise okay.
The incident comes after Whaite revealed in November that he had been battling a steroid addiction. He said he began taking steroids during lockdown after becoming unhappy with his appearance and admitted the impact on his physical and mental health had been severe.
Opening up about the struggle, Whaite said: “For the past five years I haven’t respected my body or my mind. I put body image before my wellbeing and before time with my family.”
He said the side effects of steroid abuse had been devastating and told followers that the addiction had led him to suicidal thoughts. “Steroids have made me want to end my life,” he said. “That stops today. I choose life.”
Whaite, who competed on Strictly Come Dancing in 2021, previously spoke openly about turning to OnlyFans, saying he rejoined the platform after deciding his television career no longer fulfilled him.
