Think it got a lot of people. Though it did seem a tad insensitive to me to put on “a show” for him to show him “what he could’ve won”
What a great tribute Loved this I knew about him but never knew the story so thank you Top Gear for reminding me.
I imagine the family were consulted and their faces and Eddie’s at the exhibition at the end priceless
I still need to watch this, but had an awkward moment with Eddie at a show a few years ago, I can't remember which one. I'd just washed my hands having 'used the facilities' and was about to dry them when he was wheeled in by his minder. I said to him that I desperately wanted to shake his hand, but considering the circumstances I wouldn't. He was very polite, and I think said he'd see me outside after he'd finished, but it was obvious he was in some discomfort, and his minder was probably going to get quite personal with him, so to save any embarrassment I didn't hang around.
It was certainly a very emotional tribute to the guy and it left me choking for a while! Such a sad outcome for Eddie, indeed for anyone. It might well have been avoidable though, by taking the advice given out to him at the time he planned the jump into as rising hillside. His maverick approach to such matters that had undoubtedly got him to where he was at the time, a larger than life legend, on this occasion, didn't do him any favours, but then, he clearly knew the risks he frequently took. Incredibly sad to see the man struggling to communicate, but the massive smile and the wonderfully joyful look on his face, will stay with me for a while.
Evel Knievel did the same thing at Wembley though. He knew the approach for the jump wasn’t long enough but as people had come and paid to watch he felt he had to do it. Think he ended up breaking his pelvis and saying to the crowd that they had seen him jump for the last time.
It was a great feature. All credit to Paddy McGuinness. Goes a small way towards making up for how rubbish TG has been over the last few years...
Managed to watch this eventually, probably one of the best things TG has done since the McRae tribute. Eddie Kidd was a legend back in the day, I remember watching his great wall of China jump, but watching it now the H&S mob would have a field day over the length of the landing ramp and the odd cardboard box etc. I didn't know about his US stardom with Knievel junior, how he saved that last jump was damn impressive. His accident was unfortunately easily avoidable, I read on another forum that he was a bit of a coke head back then and that he was off his face the day of his accident. I don't know whether that is true or not I was too young to even know about drugs back then and I certainly don't want it to taint my view of him regardless, maybe that if true had a factor is his ill fated decision. He certainly inspired a generation including a friend of friend of mine - Jason Rennie (have a look on YouTube), he broke the world distance record years ago at Donington, and subsequently broke/set another 3 world records. One of which was the further jump with a pillion, he repeated this years later with Eddie as the pillion. Must admit there must have been some dust kicked up when I watched this though as my eyes were watering.
