Ed Leigh Keeps Working On BBC’s Ski Sunday Despite Major Injury

24th February 2021

Last modified on May 20th, 2021

The BBC presenter has revealed he had surgery three weeks ago after badly smashing his knee in a snowboarding accident in Switzerland. He carried on with the job and kept the injury from viewers.

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Ski Sunday’s last episode of the season screened on Sunday and Ed is now back in New Zealand where he is continuing his rehab while in mandatory 14-day quarantine.

He told his followers on Instagram what happened and why he’d kept it quiet until now.

“Confession time. Less than 24hrs after smugly advocating yoga to keep you strong and bendy on show 2 of Ski Sunday I managed to find a well disguised and very sturdy tree stump with my knee and blow it to smithereens.

“The reason I didn’t say anything until now was that we didn’t want to bring anyone down. This season of Ski Sunday was meant to be about hope, not someone nailing themselves and limping around, so we opted not to mention it.

“I had surgery 3 weeks ago and am well on the mend now.

But the story is pretty entertaining and involves a DIY kneecap relocation 🤢”

Ed Leigh after the operation – photo Instagram @ed__leigh_

Ed Leigh says he has managed to damage “nearly the full set, ACL, MCL, meniscus, dislocated kneecap and fractured tibia!”

If that’s the tree stump he crashed into, it’s perhaps not surprising.

Ed Leigh in the blood wagon with (presumably) the offending tree – photo Instagram @ed__leigh_

The unfortunate incident with the tree happened in the freestyle mecca of Laax where Leigh and co-presenter Chemmy Alcott were based for 2021’s seven-episode series of Ski Sunday.

Covid-19 restrictions meant they were unable to travel to races and events as they would usually do.

It sounds as if it’s Chemmy shooting this cracking video of the piste patrol doing an incredible job of getting him off the mountain……..

Ed Leigh’s ‘confession’ has prompted hundreds of comments and good wishes on his Instagram page, including from Chemmy Alcott and his more regular co-presenter, Graham Bell.

Chemmy Alcott: I remember seeing you there, buried in the snow with your leg propped up on the evil, previously hidden stump. Your smile was still shining. You dug deep, persevered with your head held high. Not once using an excuse even when we could see you were in pain. A trooper through and through. Now heal up. We have got some steely ski and snowboard partner tricks to perfect for next year!

Graham Bell: You’ve taken some slams in all the years we’ve been working together on Ski Sunday and High Altitude, but I think this one takes the biscuit. There was the time you broke three ribs missing the foam pit at the Laax Freestyle Academy, did you not also dislocate your collarbone in Laax in 2009? Maybe take care when you go back to Laax… Work hard on the rehab and come back stronger, more weights, more speed work! 🦵🦵🏋️‍♀️🏋️‍♀️

Ed is a good friend of ours at PlanetSKI and we are seriously impressed that he managed to present five of the seven episodes of Ski Sunday after his injury with no hint of what happened.

We wish him all the best for as quick a recovery as possible.

We’ve left the mandatory gruesome post-op photo till last so you can look away quickly if you’re squeamish.