Dan Walker has updated fans following his terrifying accident yesterday, which left him with a battered and bloodied face – and unintentionally sparked a fierce debate on Twitter.
The broadcaster was knocked off his bike by a car yesterday, saying that he was ‘glad to be alive’.
He had shared a series of photos from the back of an ambulance showing a swollen ‘mess’ of a face, and thanked the emergency service workers who came to his aid.
Dan has now updated his followers on his condition, confirming that he made it out of the accident with no broken bones but also ‘no memory of anything’.
He detailed how he came round on the tarmac already being tended to by paramedics and police, again thanking by name those who helped him.
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But what he probably didn’t count on is a fierce debate erupting in his replies on Twitter, all about how essential bicycle helmets actually are.
Dan wrote: “The helmet I was wearing saved my life today so – if you’re on a bike – get one on your head. Smashed my watch & phone, ruined my trousers, my bike is a mess but I’m still here.”
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He’s now had hundreds of replies from people, many trying to argue against whether helmets do actually save lives – which seems a weird thing to do to someone who literally could have died without his.
And while no one is denying that better cycling infrastructure is essential and should be taken seriously, there’s no denying that Dan would’ve been in a much worse state without his safety gear.
One person wrote: “I’m glad you’re ok and know you’ll get this same message six ways to Sunday, but this is not the moment to call for people to wear a plastic hat. I don’t want to let my kids cycle if they have to rely on a bit of foam to not be dead. Instead I want us to reduce road danger.”
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Someone else said: “I’m afraid it’s extremely unlikely your helmet saved your life, Dan. They can’t even prevent concussion, are not designed for collisions involving motor vehicles, and can absorb at most 75J when it takes 1000J to fracture the average skull.”
Dan Walker after his accident. Credit: Twitter @mrdanwalkerDan Walker after his accident. Credit: Twitter @mrdanwalker
Dan then tried to nip the bickering about helmets in the bud, saying: “I understand this is a contentious issue and I don’t want an argument about it. I’m just happy mine worked today and the police officer at the scene called me this afternoon and said I would not be here now if I wasn’t wearing one.”
Someone then replied: “It’s contentious because it defects attention from the real cause of most cycling accidents – the lack of safe cycle infrastructure & decades of politicians doing nothing to improve road safety. P.s. I’m sure your “gorgeous” nurses would prefer the accident didn’t happen at all.”
But hundreds more have defended cycling helmets, sharing their own tales of near misses where their helmets took the brunt of an accident rather than their skulls.
Dan’s full update said: “Blown away by all the lovely messages. Thank you. Just got home from hospital. Battered and bruised but – amazingly – nothing broken. Very thankful to still be here. I have no memory of anything and just remember coming round on the tarmac with paramedics & police around me.
“Thanks for all your kindness. Jamie & Shaun were so great in the ambulance – not sure I was making much sense. Thanks to Conor the copper, Charlotte in x-ray & Hannah (below) for being so considerate & brilliant in such a busy A & E
“The helmet I was wearing saved my life today so – if you’re on a bike – get one on your head. Smashed my watch & phone, ruined my trousers, my bike is a mess but I’m still here.
“Currently eating soup through a straw and being looked after by this gorgeous, tired nurse.”
Get well soon Dan!
Featured image: Twitter, @mrdanwalker
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Six teenage boys arrested following stabbing of 13-year-old in Rochdale town centre
Emily Sergeant
Six teenage boys have been arrested following the stabbing of a 13-year-old in Rochdale town centre over the weekend.
Greater Manchester Police (GMP) explained that officers were called out to reports of a ‘serious assault’ near the Riverside Shopping Centre in central Rochdale on Saturday (29 August), and when they arrived on the scene, they found that a 13-year-old boy had been stabbed.
The young boy currently remains in hospital receiving treatment, while a police investigation into the incident is open and ongoing.
Two teenage boys were first arrested on suspicion of assault and possession of a bladed article on the same day the incident occurred (29 August), but have since been released on bail.
Officers then made four further arrests yesterday (31 August), again all teenage boys who were arrested on suspicion of assault and possession of a bladed article, with enquires ongoing.
A Section 60 and 60AA ‘stop and search’ authority was introduced in Rochdale town centre following the recent incidents in area and following reports of youths carrying weapons in the locality, and this has now been extended to 3pm today (Tuesday 1 September).
“This was a serious and sustained attack that could have had far more tragic consequences,” explained Detective Superintendent, Richard Hunt .”Our team of experienced detectives is working around the clock to understand exactly what happened, identify all those involved, and secure the strongest possible evidence.
“We will relentlessly pursue every lead available to us and will leave no stone unturned in bringing all those responsible before the courts.
“Community safety remains our absolute priority, and we are committed to ensuring those who seek to bring violence onto our streets are held fully accountable for their actions.”
Can you help? Anyone who witnessed the incident, was in the town centre at the time, or has any mobile phone, CCTV, or dashcam footage, is urged to come forward and speak to police on 101, quoting log 2750 of 29/08/2026, or using the LiveChat function on the GMP website.
Alternatively, you can contact Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111.
Featured Image – GMP
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High School Musical at Lowry, Salford – a night spent reliving our childhood | Review
Amy Williams
What a night spent reliving our childhood.
Now, I don’t want to exaggerate or seem biased, considering this is one of my favourite film trilogies of all time, but this could be the best stage show I’ve seen in a long while.
We all know how High School Musical goes, right? Set at East High, we follow Troy and Gabriella (the star basketball player, and the geeky new girl) who meet over New Year, and then become ‘star-crossed lovers’ when back at school as they’re part of two different ‘cliques’.
The duo mess with the ‘Status Quo’ when they audition for the school musical. But will they stick to what they know? Or become stars of the stage? I’m sure you know the ending.
High School Musical is currently on stage at Lowry, Salford / Credit: Matt Crockett (Supplied)
From the costumes and the characters, to the memorable songs (there’s actually 52 songs in this production, including a mega mix at the end), they’ve kept right to the script of the films – and that’s exactly what we wanted to see.
Of course, the biggest throwback of them all is Kaycee Stroh – who originally featured as Martha Cox in the film trilogy – taking the role as Ms Darbus, and she was just as incredible as we expected her to be. And to see her do the iconic dance in the finale was unbelievable, 13-year-old Amy was screaming.
Also featuring Jason Donovan as Coach Bolton, Tobias Turley as Troy, Leonor Correia as Gabriella, Caitlin Tipping Sharpay, and Luke Bayer as Ryan, it was a proper impressive cast all round.
It’s a night to properly relive your mid-00s childhood / Credit: Matt Crockett (Supplied)
There was crowd interaction right from the off, as they taught the crowd a cheerleading routine to be included later in the show, plus for the finale, they had the lyrics on the big screen too so everyone could sing-along.
If we could go and see this show every single night, we would – it is absolutely brilliant.
Daisy Jackson -
21st February 2023 
