Former Strictly Come Dancing finalist and Great British Bake Off champion John Waite has been rushed to hospital following a serious road accident that he says 'could have been fatal'.
The Terrifying Incident
Waite, 39, took to Instagram on Wednesday, 7 January 2026, to share the shocking news that he had been run over by a car the previous night. He described rolling up the vehicle's bonnet, damaging it and the windscreen, before landing on the road. The TV personality managed to crawl to the pavement where, he said, an 'angel of a human' covered him with a coat and stayed with him until an ambulance arrived.
The doctors told him he was incredibly fortunate. In his social media post, Waite relayed their startling assessment: "The doctors said 'thank god you're 16 stone of muscle because it could have been fatal'." He added a stark warning to his followers, advising them to build core strength and avoid wearing dark clothing when crossing roads at night.
Clarification and Recovery
Later the same day, Waite returned to Instagram to clarify a point from his initial statement. He explained that when he said the driver was 'speeding', he meant it in a figurative sense to convey the sudden and shocking nature of the impact. "I don't know what speed the driver was going," he wrote. "But it was enough to skittle me up onto his windscreen and down onto the floor."
Despite the ordeal, the baker and dancer reassured fans about his condition. "I've been scanned and poked and prodded and I'm ok," he stated, signing off with his characteristic humour: "Still gay though."
A History-Making Performer
John Waite made television history in 2021 when he competed on the 19th series of Strictly Come Dancing. Partnered with professional dancer Johannes Radebe, they formed the show's first all-male couple and went on to finish as runners-up, losing the Glitterball Trophy to Rose Ayling-Ellis and Giovanni Pernice.
His stint on the dance floor came nine years after he first won the nation's heart by triumphing in the third series of The Great British Bake Off in 2012, a victory he achieved despite a serious finger injury during the competition.
Away from the spotlight, Waite continues his baking career and lives in Leeds with his husband, Paul Atkins. The couple got engaged in 2017 and married in New York in 2024. In a past interview, Waite cited his 18-year relationship as his life's greatest achievement.
