A Wipeout contestant died Wednesday after completing the course, according to a report from THR. The man's identity was not disclosed.
Wipeout, which started airing in 2008 and was rebooted in April of this year, has been one of the more successful and longer-running shows of its kind. The draw is often in seeing contestants fall off the obstacles and into a body of water. It always looks painful, and it is easy to wonder from an audience perspective how the contestants manage to get back up on the course after being knocked off so viciously. Surely there is an element of danger involved, but it is rare to see any type of injury, or even a cut, from the brave obstacle-runners. While the show has dipped in popularity since its inception, it clearly created a formula that has worked well enough all these years. The latest news, however, could change everything.
According to THR, the male contestant had a medical emergency after completion of the course. He was taken to a hospital but didn't survive. Producers Endemol Shine North America told THR in a statement, "We offer our heartfelt condolences to the family and our thoughts are with them at this time."
There is still much that is not known about the situation and whether it will affect filming moving forward. Deaths while filming reality TV shows are rare, but it has happened before. Two contestants of international versions of Survivor have died of heart attacks. Two contestants of MTV's Buckwild died of carbon-monoxide poisoning in 2013. And, most famously, Steve Irwin was killed by a stingray while filming The Crocodile Hunter.
Wipeout will likely take greater precautions moving forward to ensure the safety of its contestants after it returns filming following Thanksgiving, the extent to which it will affect the show moving forward will come into focus as more details about the death are revealed. If it was something Wipeout could not have foreseen, the show likely will remain on as scheduled. If, however, it was a situation that could have been avoided if more precautions were taken, it could cause Wipeout to be cancelled.
Our hearts go out to the family of the deceased contestant.
Source: THR
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