14 January 2024 , 17:32
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Amanda Abbington’s fiancé, former stuntman Jonathan Goodwin, suggested their relationship could end after he suffered life-altering injuries that left him paralysed.
The 51-year-old actress has been in a relationship with 43-year-old Jonathan since 2021 - having been friends via social media for a decade before they met, but becoming engaged minutes after first physically meeting. Jonathan had been married to a woman named Katy, with whom he shares a daughter, but didn’t suggest meeting Amanda in person until after long after her own marriage to actor Martin Freeman, 52, collapsed in 2016.
While Amanda and Jonathan fell head over heels for each other, disaster struck a year later when Jonathan was severely injured during a stunt on the since-cancelled reality series America's Got Talent: Extreme. He suffered a string of injuries, including losing a kidney and severing his spinal chord - which left him paralysed.
Realising the extent of his injuries and how drastically it would change his life, Jonathan heartbreakingly gave Amanda his blessing for her to leave him - a suggestion she flatly rejected. The former stuntman previously revealed: "I said you have a get out of jail free card, if you want to walk away I understand and she told me not to be so stupid."
Amanda and Jonathan have discussed their love story (Ken McKay/ITV/REX/Shutterstock)
Amanda stood by her fiancé (WireImage)Amanda has also explained the horror she experienced when she learned of Jonathan’s accident. She said previously: “[The stunt] was dangerous, but I knew Jonathan was a perfectionist so I didn’t think anymore about it. When I woke up the following morning, there was a voicemail from his stunt coordinator: 'Jonathan’s had an accident. It’s not great news.'"
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But discussing Jonathan's resilience, she shared on Lorraine: "He's amazing, he makes me smile. I love him to bits, he's going from strength to strength. I forget he's in a wheelchair; he's independent and strong. He's genuinely my hero, I don't know what I'd do without him. He's so supportive and gorgeous. Wedding in summer it's happening."
Jonathan was recently a rock for Amanda to depend on while she competed on the BBC’s Strictly Come Dancing. She performed on the show alongside 33-year-old dance professional Giovanni Pernice - but rumours swirled that the pair clashed behind-the-scenes of the show.
This month, reports emerged that Amanda has suffered post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) following her time on the show - and has demanded the BBC hand over all footage of her and Giovanni’s rehearsals together while she considers legal advice. Amanda has discussed her love for Jonathan in the past.
She told the Guardian in 2022 that she fell for him fast when they met, saying: “I was on him like a rat up a drainpipe. I had fancied him for a few years.” They began their romance with phone calls, and there was an instant connection.
Amanda was then filming in Austria when Jonathan had time to visit her there while she was on a break between shoot dates. He recalled going there with the intention to propose, saying: “By this time, I knew that I was going to ask her to marry me. I had been planning it already, even though we’d only been talking for a month.”