Supervet Noel Fitzpatrick recalls terrifying accident at home: 'I was millimetres away from death'

In 2020, Noel Fitzpatrick was involved in a terrifying incident at his home. Leaving him just "millimetres away from death," the TV star broke his neck in February of that year, after falling down a flight of stairs. At the time, Noel had got up to use the bathroom, and while barely awake, had tripped down the staircase before hitting a wall at the bottom. He even recalls hearing his neck snap. 

© Shutterstock

The Channel 4 star was ultimately left with a C7 vertebra, at the base of the neck. Fortunately for the vet, he was able to avoid surgery but ended up with a neck brace. He was also forced to take time off work. 

"It was a profound wake-up call," noted Noel. "Also in the physical sense, that I was millimetres away from death. Had the vertebra shifted more, apparently, the fatality rate from an asleep fall down 13 steps into a wall is not good."

© Shutterstock

For Noel, the accident allowed him to take stock of his life. "I'll tell you what," he told The Guardian, "I have to rationalise how I'm gonna pass on what's important to the next generation before I'm too old and incapacitated to do it. I'm trying hard to create a mechanism by which that's possible."

Following the accident, Noel has continued to film his hit show, The Supervet, while maintaining his role as Clinical Chair and Chief Surgeon at his hospital – Fitzpatrick Referral – in Surrey. 

© Photo: Channel 4

Noel, 56, is also believed to be in a relationship, although details about his girlfriend remain scarce. It is thought that she works as a receptionist at his practice. 

The Supervet star was previously in a relationship with singer-songwriter Cathy Dennis, who is best known for writing Britney Spears' 'Toxic' as well as Kylie Minogue's 'Can't Get You Out of My Head'. The former couple dated in the early 2000s, and it's even reported that Noel served as the inspiration for 'Toxic'. 

While appearing on This Morning in 2020, the star was quizzed about the song. "Just before we have to leave you, I am looking at your CD collection on the shelf behind you. I am just wondering whether Britney Spears' song Toxic is on there? I read the most fascinating fact about you, Noel," teased Holly Willoughby. 

Marking Noel laugh, he replied: "I think you need to get Cathy on the show and ask her...Who knows, we need to wait for Cathy's biography on that one."