Gordon Ramsay says he’s “lucky to be here” after crashing his bicycle earlier this week in Connecticut.
“I had a really bad accident, and it really shook me. Honestly, I’m lucky to be here,” the “MasterChef” star, 57, said in a graphic video he shared to Instagram June 15.
Ramsay went on to acknowledge the “incredible” doctors and nurses who treated his injuries at a hospital before urging followers to wear a helmet on every bike ride.
“I don’t care how short the journey is. I don’t care, you know, the fact that these helmets cost money, but they’re crucial,” he said to fans. “Even with the kids, a short journey, they’ve got to wear a helmet.”
“I’m lucky to be standing here. I’m in pain. It’s been a brutal week, and I’m sort of getting through it,” Ramsay said, lifting up his chef’s jacket to reveal his horrifically bruised torso.
“But I cannot tell you the importance of wearing a helmet,” he added.
Ramsay also included “before” and “after” shots from the accident along with his message.
In the first image, the celebrity chef stood next to his road bike wearing cycling clothes, sunglasses and a helmet. A second photo taken after the accident showed Ramsay’s helmet in tatters. His cycling shirt was ripped up with a large hole in the chest.
In his caption, Ramsay, a longtime cycling enthusiast who has competed in multiple triathlons, again urged fans to wear a helmet.
“With #FathersDay tomorrow I have very important message for all the dads out there…WEAR A HELMET ! This week I had a really bad accident while riding my bike in Connecticut. I’m doing ok and did not break any bones or suffer any major injuries but I am a bit bruised up looking like a purple potato,” he wrote.
“I’m thankful for all the doctors, nurses and staff at Lawerence + Memorial Hospital in New London who looked after me and checked me out, but most thankful for my helmet that saved my life. Have a great Father’s Day and be safe Gx,” he added.
In 2014, Ramsay opened up to The Telegraph about his love of cycling and competing in triathlons.
One of the perks of cycling, said the chef, is getting to sample food from the small towns he sees on his rides.
“It’s like I’m on The Great British Bake Off. I’m finding these amazing little tea rooms in villages with these carrot cakes and Victoria sponges that are beyond belief,” he said, adding that a few months prior he had done something “really naughty” while riding.
“I’d been cycling for five hours and I ate the whole f------ cake,” he recalled. “It was a 9-inch Victoria sponge. I felt so bad.”
