Celebrities, sports stars felled by British TV ski show

A British television show that sends celebrities speeding down a ski jump claimed its latest victim on Saturday, as a pop singer joined two Olympic medallists and a former rugby star in suffering injury.

Former England rugby player Ben Cohen lost two teeth and needed 20 stitches while competing in Channel 4's "The Jump", while former Olympic gymnast Beth Tweddle needed neck surgery and former Olympic swimmer Rebecca Adlington hurt her shoulder.

Tweddle and Adlington -- who described the pain from her injury as "worse than childbirth" -- both pulled out of the programme dubbed the most dangerous on British TV, although Cohen was back on the slopes in the Austrian Alps this week.

Sarah Harding, a singer with former pop group Girls Aloud, announced on Saturday that she too now had to pull out after suffering from a ruptured ligament, saying she was "gutted".

A soap actress, Tina Hobley, had earlier pulled out after dislocating her elbow and suffering two fractures to her arm, while reality TV star Mark-Francis Vandelli left the show after breaking his ankle.

"The Jump" is currently in its third series and this year sees contestants brave a purpose-built Ski Jump the height of three double-decker buses.

But the mounting casualty list has raised questions about its future, and earlier this month Channel 4 launched a safety review of the programme.

"All winter sports carry some form of risk but in light of the number of injuries this year, Channel 4 has asked producers to review safety procedures again to further reduce the prospects of accident," a spokesman told The Guardian newspaper.