Television personality John Whaite was taken to hospital following a collision with a vehicle on Tuesday evening, with medical staff telling him the incident might have proved deadly had he not been in such robust physical condition.
The 36-year-old, who claimed victory on The Great British Bake Off in 2012 and later competed on Strictly Come Dancing, shared news of the frightening ordeal with his Instagram followers on Wednesday.
According to Mr Whaite, doctors at the hospital informed him his physical shape may have saved him.
He explained he'd been told: "Thank god you're 16 stone of muscle because it could have been fatal."
John Whaite took part in BBC Strictly in 2021
|BBC
The baker and broadcaster reassured his fans that despite the severity of the crash, he had emerged without serious injury after undergoing thorough medical examinations.
Describing the collision on social media, Mr Whaite explained that he was thrown onto the car's bonnet, causing damage to both it and the windscreen, before landing on the road surface.
"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," he wrote.
The Leeds-based star subsequently issued a clarification regarding his initial description of the driver, noting that his use of the word "speeding" was not meant literally.
John Whaite shared the frightening news on social media
|"I meant: it was sudden and shocking," he explained. "I don't know what speed the driver was going.
"But it was enough to skittle me up onto his windscreen and down onto the floor."
Mr Whaite first rose to prominence when he triumphed in the third series of The Great British Bake Off more than a decade ago, securing his place in the nation's affections despite sustaining a significant finger injury during the competition.
His return to primetime television came in 2021 when he joined the 19th series of Strictly Come Dancing, where he was paired with professional dancer Johannes Radebe.
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Johannes Radebe and John Whaite reached the final of BBC Strictly in 2021
|PA
The partnership proved groundbreaking, as the duo became the BBC programme's first male same-sex couple to compete together.
Their performances captivated audiences throughout the series, ultimately carrying them to the final, where they finished as runners-up behind Rose Ayling-Ellis and Giovanni Pernice.
Mr Whaite resides in Leeds with his husband, Paul Atkins, a graphic designer whom he married in New York in 2024 after seven years of engagement.
The couple, who have been together for 18 years, also operate a brownie business together.
John Whaite shared how he was hit by a car on Tuesday
|PA
In November, the television star publicly addressed his five-year battle with anabolic steroids, revealing in an emotional video that he had begun using the substances during lockdown.
He disclosed that the drugs had exacerbated his struggles with body dysmorphia and bulimia while causing physical side effects.
"Steroids have made me want to end my life," he said at the time.
"That stops now. I choose life. I choose health. I choose love. I choose a simpler life."