Radio 2’s Jeremy Vine rushed to hospital after falling off penny-farthing

Jeremy Vine is recovering after falling off his penny-farthing while cycling over the weekend.

The BBC Radio 2 and TV presenter is well-known for his love of cycling, but this time it didn’t go in his favour. He was left unconscious and with a black eye when he flipped over the top of the Victorian bicycle.

He was rushed to A&E after the eight-foot fall which knocked him out for around two minutes, despite him wearing a helmet. Doctors told him he was lucky to have just a black eye and some aches from the fall.

Appearing via a video link on his TV show today, he said: “I’ve been in the wars a little bit, as my mum would always say. Look at the black eye there, broke my glasses.”

He added: “I came off my penny-farthing and when you are on it you are eight foot up. I was on grass. No one around.

“I think this is what happened. Didn’t see the divert, front wheel into it, over the handlebars, landed on my head, crowd gathered. When I went to A&E, they said you’re fine but you’re lucky.”

Staff at the hospital told Jeremy it was the first time they’d written “riding a penny-farthing” as a reason for the injury!

"I didn't see the divot, my front wheel went into it and I went over the handlebars and landed on my head."@theJeremyVine is recovering after falling off his penny-farthing while cycling over the weekend.

At A&E he was told he was lucky to just have a black eye.#JeremyVine pic.twitter.com/sy3l5xqOya

— Jeremy Vine On 5 (@JeremyVineOn5) February 16, 2022