The family involved in a horror crash with Ant McPartlin said the TV star was ‘driving like a maniac’ and could have killed them.
Restaurant owner Faheem Vanoo and his wife Shilpa Dandekar were travelling with their four-year-old daughter Amaira when their green Mini was involved in a head-on collision with another Mini driven by the TV presenter.
The Sunday afternoon crash left the dad and his daughter ‘shocked and dazed’ – but without any serious injuries.
Restaurant owners Faheem Vanoo and wife Shilpa Dandekar were involved in the crash yesterday with Ant McParlin
The husband and wife team Faheem Vanoo and Shilpa Dandekar run a top Indian restaurant in west London
The couple say their experience has been ‘a nightmare’ and the family are ‘shocked and dazed’
But furious Shilpa told The Sun – after MailOnline revealed the identity of the family in the crash – that she had to be held back after the crash because she wanted to smash McPartlin in the face.
Her husband, Faheem, explained: ‘His Mini came flying around a sharp corner on the wrong side of the road trying to overtake a blue car. I hardly had time to react and turned in towards the kerb to avoid a head-on collision.
‘I’m convinced that split-second turn of the wheel saved us all from being crippled or killed. I reckon he was doing 50 or 60mph.’
Faheem also said he does not care ‘whether [McPartlin is] a millionaire’ or ‘a famous TV star – he could have put my daughter in a wheelchair’.
The TV presenter, 42, is seen appearing dazed as he climbs out of his £26,000 John Cooper, which smashed into two other cars and injured a three-year-old girl
The TV presenter, 42, is seen appearing dazed as he climbs out of his £26,000 John Cooper, which smashed into two other cars and injured a three-year-old girl
The video shows the passers-by asking a startled McPartlin if he is OK. The telly favourite appears to nod as he stumbles and holds on to his car door
The video shows the passers-by asking a startled McPartlin if he is OK. The telly favourite appears to nod as he stumbles and holds on to his car door
He added: ‘The horn of his car was blaring and my little girl was crying in shock. It was a terrible, chaotic scene.’
Meanwhile a close member of McPartlin’s family said the Saturday Night Takeaway star is ‘distraught’ that children were involved in the crash.
Speaking to The Mirror, the family member added: ‘He is going through a bad time.
‘Ant and [his mother] Christine have bruises. They are sore and in shock. Thankfully everyone was fine and it was bruising rather than any serious injuries.’
Shilpa said she suffered a bust lip while daughter Amaira was assessed in an ambulance but did not require further treatment.
‘The whole experience has just been a nightmare,’ Faheem told MailOnline.
‘It is not something that we ever expected, but we are just grateful that no one was hurt.
‘It has been a terrible experience and it feels like we are coming out of a nightmare. It has left us all a bit shaken up.’
The CCTV footage captures McPartlin driving along Sheen Lane towards a roundabout where he allegedly lost control and crashed
A CCTV camera captured the TV star four minutes before he was involved in a three-car smash that led to his arrest
Faheem said he had been asked not to talk directly about the accident by police.
But he added: ‘I cannot talk about certain things, but the main thing is that we are all safe. My daughter and wife are okay and were not injured.’
Asked if he had been contacted by McPartlin, he replied: ‘I cannot talk about that.’ An ambulance was called to the scene of the crash on the Lower Richmond Road in south west London but was not used to transport any patient to hospital.
Amaira was taken to West Middlesex Hospital in Isleworth by her parents for a check up and was not kept in overnight for any treatment. Faheem said: ‘She is fine. We are all okay.’
The green Mini (pictured today), in which the couple and their daughter were travelling is pictured by the roadside following the collision with the TV star
Shipla had previously posted this photo of her husband Faheem on Facebook when they first bought their green Mini Cooper
A three-year-old girl was taken to hospital after the I’m A Celebrity presenter lost control of his black Mini and crashed into two cars at around 4pm yesterday in Richmond, southwest London. Pictured is the smashed green Mini, which the young girl was in
Pictured is Lower Richmond Road in south west London, where Ant McPartlin crashed into two cars
A woman is seen opening the door of one of the cars involved in the crash, today. McPartlin’s car has been covered up by police
The restaurant boss was driving his 2017 registered green Mini when it was in collision with a sporty version of the same car with Ant at the wheel.
Faheem’s Mini suffered extensive damage to the nearside front wheel while Ant’s £26,000 Mini had its front nearside wheel completely sheared off.
Witnesses said Ant, who was returning home from walking his dog in Richmond Park, lost control of his car on a sharp bend after exiting a mini roundabout.
Faheem, who is originally from Mumbai, India, runs an Indian restaurant in Fulham called Pure Indian Cooking with his wife.
Shilpa trained at the Taj hotel group in India, before moving to the UK and cooking in various British pubs.
She has also worked as a sous chef in Quilon, and was Raymond Blanc’s choice of head chef at London’s first Brasserie Blanc.
Her husband has formerly managed at London’s Bombay Brasserie Indian restaurant and an assistant manager the Taj Resort and Hotel in central London. The couple have run their own restaurant since 2015.
On its website, Faheem describes how he and his wife began their culinary careers at the Taj group of hotels in India.
It says: ‘Since then, with Faheem managing front of house and Shilpa, who has worked with such masterchefs as the legendary Raymond Blanc OBE and Sriram Aylur of the Michelin starred Quilon, heading the kitchen, the restaurant has amassed a strong following as a refined as an exceedingly good local restaurant, with many clientele calling it a London ‘West End restaurant in Fulham!’
McPartlin, who is worth £60million, spent most of last night in police custody, before he was released under investigation and returned home at 3am yesterday.
The star has endured a troublesome year with his battle with painkillers addiction and the breakdown of his marriage to Lisa Armstrong.
Ant McPartlin’s mother, Christine Woodhall, has been seen for the first time (pictured today), leaving his London home, after her son’s arrest
A statement on behalf of Ant & Dec confirmed McPartlin was taking a break from his on-screen duties, where he hosts on ITV with Declan Donnelly.
It said: ‘Ant has decided to go back into treatment and step down from his current TV commitments.
‘He has spoken with Dec and ITV today and asked for time off for the foreseeable future. As such “Saturday Night Takeaway” will not be going ahead this Saturday.’
An ITV spokesman said: ‘ITV has taken a joint decision with Ant and Dec’s team not to broadcast Saturday Night Takeaway this weekend.
‘We will be reviewing options for the last two episodes of the series (March 31 and April 7) which would not feature Ant who is taking time off to seek treatment. We very much hope that he gets the help that he needs.’
A witness to the crash told MailOnline: ‘There were two cars travelling along Lower Richmond road – a green Mini Cooper and an X5 which was about much further back.
‘A black Mini Cooper shot round the corner but instead of turning left went straight across the road and smashed into the green Mini.
‘It was a bad crash but the black Mini Cooper still travelled on and crashed into the BMW behind which had done an emergency brake. There was a woman and her young son in there.
‘Airbags deployed in the black Mini and a lady came out of the passenger seat. No one came out of the driver seat initially.
‘The lady in the BMW came out but her son stayed in the car. The family in the Mini Cooper also came out and an Asian lady ran and screamed at the driver of the black Mini who was still inside. A passerby was asking her to calm down and checked on everyone to see if everyone was OK.
‘People were checking that everyone was alright. There was a lot of confusion cos the horn remained blaring on the car for ages. Everyone was dazed by it all.
‘When the driver came out, he just shouted intermittently at his mother but didn’t speak to anyone else until the police arrived shortly. There were two dogs in the Mini.’
Ant McPartlin arrives back at his west London home at around 3am today after his alleged drink-drive car crash
Just seconds before the crash, McPartlin was seen driving his John Cooper special edition car along Sheen Lane, after taking his dog for a walk in Richmond Park, southwest London, just before 4pm.
CCTV footage captured the TV presenter just seconds before he reached a mini roundabout on Lower Richmond Road and crashed into a green Mini and maroon BMW – injuring the three-year-old girl.
The video emerged shortly after his mother, Christine Woodhall, was seen for the first time, leaving his London home, after the arrest.
McPartlin failed a roadside breathalyser test – just 20 hours after appearing live on TV hosting Ant & Dec’s Saturday Night Takeaway. He was arrested by police and spent 10 hours in custody.
The Metropolitan Police confirmed the TV presenter, who has had a troublesome year with an addiction to painkillers and the breakdown of his marriage, had been released ‘under investigation’.
He was spotted arriving home just before 3am, following his arrest.
His mother, Ms Woodhall, who is believed to have moved in with her son when the troubled star was struggling with painkillers, was seen today getting into the back of a black Mercedes van which parked as near to the house in Chiswick, west London, as possible.
A driver was seen removing several bags from the boot before Ms Woodhall, looking tired and shaken, jumped in the back before she was whisked away.
The troubled television personality allegedly crashed his black Mini after losing control of his vehicle on a roundabout, which veered into the opposite side of the road and collided with a green Mini, which had a young girl and couple inside.
Celebrity publicist Simon Jones visited the home of McPartlin today. Jones, who is known to represent Little Mix, One Direction stars and McFly, spent around 90 minutes at the home for crisis talks.
He arrived in a Range Rover with two of his team members and refused to answer questions about how McPartlin was.
Several hours earlier an Audi A5 arrived at the car and a suited man spent around 30 minutes in the home.
Witnesses described McPartlin as being ‘furious’ when he got out of the car and he was seen shouting at his mother, Christine.
The crash is the latest in what has been a troublesome year for the telly favourite, after he went to rehab for his painkiller addiction and the breakup of his marriage to Lisa Armstrong.
Saturday Night Takeaway is CANCELLED so Ant McPartlin can check back into rehab after arrest
Saturday Night Takeaway has been pulled from TV schedules this week following Ant McPartlin’s arrest on suspicion of drink driving.
The decision could spell the end of the long-running TV duo’s stellar career on the nation’s TV screens.
An ITV spokesman said: ‘ITV has taken a joint decision with Ant and Dec’s team not to broadcast Saturday Night Takeaway this weekend.
‘We will be reviewing options for the last two episodes of the series (March 31 and April 7) which would not feature Ant who is taking time off to seek treatment. We very much hope that he gets the help that he needs.’
McPartlin’s publicist said in a statement: ‘Ant has decided to go back into treatment and step down from his current TV commitments.
Ant McPartlin presents the show with co-host Dec Donnelly (pictured on Saturday night) and was arrested on Sunday morning
‘He has spoken with Dec and ITV today and asked for time off for the foreseeable future. As such Saturday Night Takeaway will not be going ahead this Saturday.’
The crash and Ant’s ensuing absence will also be a disaster for Dec Donnelly, who will struggle to appear on TV without his long-time partner.
Fans went online this afternoon to express their worries for the future of the show and others which Ant and Dec present.
Saturday Night Takeaway is sponsored by Suzuki in a £20million deal and Ant and sidekick Dec are also paid to appear in adverts for the car maker.
But marketing bosses at the Japanese motor giant will be furious that troubled Ant was involved in the crash after allegedly being over the drink drive limit.
Ant also appears in adverts for gambling firm 32Red and was recently the face of supermarket chain Morrisons with Dec in a multi-million deal.
But after a girl was injured in Sunday’s smash his once squeaky-clean image – that has allowed him to amass a £60million fortune – is now in tatters.
The firms could decide to pull the plug on future deals if he goes on to be convicted of drink driving and the smash has led fans to demand he be given the boot from the ITV1 show until the conclusion of legal proceedings.
Ant is also an ambassador for a host of charities – including the Prince’s Trust, ChildLine, the NSPCC. And he is a patron of Cash for Kids and the Children’s Heart Unit Fund.
Some fans want Stephen Mulhern – who also appears on the show – to partner Dec as co-host.
Others suggested that Scarlett Moffatt could end up replacing Ant if he does not appear on Saturday.