Celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay has shared horrific bruising covering his torso following a "really bad" cycling accident, with a life-saving warning to his fans following the incident.
The famously foul-mouthed chef appeared rattled in a social media post, where he told followers he was "lucky to be here".
"I have very important message for all the dads out there…WEAR A HELMET!" he captioned the video.
"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. 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."
The keen cyclist shared photos of his banged-up helmet alongside a video of himself where he described the scary accident, lifting his shirt to reveal dark purple bruising.
"It really shook me and honestly I'm lucky to be here," he said.
"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, but I cannot tell you the importance of wearing a helmet."
Wishing the dads out there a happy Father's Day, he pushed the message saying it doesn't matter the journey length or cost - wearing a helmet for cycling is "crucial".
The post has been met with floods of well wishes for the famous cook. Contestants on his show Next Level Chef were among those sharing messages.
"The way my heart sank when you lifted your shirt!! The world needs you chef!! Beyond happy to hear you are going to be okay, and thank God for that helmet!" Farnum Grindtime commented.
"Wishing you a speedy recovery chef, that's a serious bruise I literally gasped! Grateful you're on the mend," Gabrielle Chappel shared alongside a heart emoji and bandaid emoji.
Ramsay is no stranger to getting on wheels, including taking a Lime scooter for a joy ride around Auckland's viaduct in 2019.
"Just scooting around #Auckland ! #NewZealand" he captioned an Instagram video at the time.
