‘The Jump’ bosses have reportedly axed Eddie ‘The Eagle’ Edwards, after he made a series of comments about the show’s safety.
The legendary ski jumper will not appear on the upcoming series of Channel 4’s winter sports show after he previously claimed to be “surprised” it was returning, as no less than seven contestants were injured last year.
A source told The Sun: “Producers didn’t like what he was saying about the show as it came in for a lot of stick.
However, Channel 4 spokesperson told HuffPost UK Eddie’s exit is an “editorial decision”.
“Eddie was on previous series as a commentator and so it is a purely editorial decision not to bring him back,” they said.
“Eddie has never been involved in any aspect of the training programme for ‘The Jump’ as this is the responsibility of qualified instructors who teach the celebrities to ski jump according to modern accepted standards.”
Eddie said last October bosses had ignored his warnings about changes that needed to be made to ensure the celebrities’ safety.
“I kept telling the producers, ‘It’s going to get very difficult, very hairy’ and they said, ‘No it’s all right’ and they’ve carried on and they’ve had so many accidents,” he said at the Cheltenham Literature Festival.
“I was very surprised that they’re going to have another series.”
Last year’s series saw seven stars forced to pull out after injuring themselves - some seriously.
Olympic gymnast Beth Tweddle had to undergo neck surgery after an accident on the slopes left her with two fractured vertebrae.
Swimmer Rebecca Addlington dislocated her shoulder, while ‘Holby City’ actress Tina Hobley was left with serious injuries to her knee, shoulder and arm and considered legal action against the show over her accident.
Among the other stars who have signed up for the 2017 series are ‘Big Brother’ winner Josie Gibson, former ‘Made In Chelsea’ lothario Spencer Matthews, ‘TOWIE’ star Lydia Bright, and former ‘X Factor’ singer Jake Quickenden.
HuffPost UK has contacted a Channel 4 spokesperson for comment on this story.