A contestant on the show Wipeout has died after being hospitalized following an attempt at the obstacle course, according to TMZ. After completing the course, the male contestant needed medical attention and was sent to a local hospital where he later died. TMZ said that law enforcement got a cardiac arrest call on noon Wednesday, and the contestant was experiencing chest pains one he finished the course.
Wipeout is the reboot from the original that aired on ABC from 2008 to 2014. The new version will air on TBS and will feature, John Cena, Nicole Byer and Camille Kostek as hosts. In a statement to TMZ, TBS said: “We are devastated to have learned of his passing and our deepest sympathy goes out to the family.”
Videos by PopCulture.com
TMZ was told that every contestant on Wipeout undergoes medical exams before participating. There are also two paramedics on site along with a safety producer and paramedic coordinator. The production company, Endemol Shine North America, said in a statement: “We offer our heartfelt condolences to the family and our thoughts are with them at this time.”
Popculture.com recently caught up with Kostek, and she talked about how the TBS version will be similar to the original. “I think what’s the best part about hosting Wipeout is that you can’t not laugh when you watch the show,” Kostek said. “It’s so relatable. I’ve been doing hosting stuff for a really long time through middle school, through high school, I did some internships, declared my major as communications and television production in college and did internships after that.”
She also talked about working with Cena and Byer. “They are just balls of fun, balls of personality,” Kostek said. “We are so alike in the sense that we want to bring laughter and happiness to people watching. But we also want to have our own flair in the show and our own say.”
The Wipeout reboot was announced back in September. In a statement, Cena said: “I look forward to seeing fan responses both new and existing. This’ll be a hosting experience, unlike anything I’ve ever done! I can’t wait to get started in rooting for our contestants!” The release date of Wipeout has yet to be announced, but it’s likely it will begin airing sometime in 2021.
