Chef Gordon Ramsay says he "wouldn't be here" without his helmet after cycling accident left him badly bruised

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The celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay said he's "lucky to be here" after a cycling accident left him with an enormous bruise across his torso. He revealed the injury in a startling video shared Saturday to his social media pages, where the British restauranteur and reality TV star stressed the importance of wearing a helmet while bike riding.

Ramsay did not share details about the circumstances surrounding the crash but described it as "a really bad accident" that happened earlier in the week while he was riding his bike in Connecticut. He said the accident left him shaken and in pain, although he did not break any bones or suffer major injuries.

"I'd like to share a very important message with you all," said Ramsay in the video, which he recorded while seemingly back to work in his chef's uniform. "This week, unfortunately, I had a really bad accident and it really shook me. And, honestly, I'm lucky to be here."

His injuries required hospital treatment, Ramsay said, before thanking a team of "incredible trauma surgeons, doctors, nurses" at Lawrence and Memorial Hospital in the coastal Connecticut city of New London, who handled his care in the wake of the crash. But Ramsey noted that he was most grateful to his helmet for saving his life.

"You've got to wear a helmet," Ramsay said. "I don't care how short the journey is, I don't care the fact that these helmets cost money ... they're crucial. Even with the kids, a short journey, they've got to wear a helmet."

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Ramsay lifted his uniform coat to give the camera a look at the bruise he suffered in the accident. It covered one side of his midsection almost completely with the skin marked in a deep purple shade.

"Now I'm lucky to be standing here. I'm in pain, it's been a brutal week and I'm sort of getting through it," Ramsay said. 

He finished the video with a sign-off recognizing Father's Day on Sunday.

"This weekend is massive. It's Father's Day, for new fathers, old fathers, middle-aged fathers," he said. "I want to wish you all a very happy Father's Day. But please, please, please, please wear a helmet. Because if I didn't, honestly, I wouldn't be here now."

Along with the video, Ramsay shared an image of himself before the cycling accident and another of his helmet after the crash. The helmet is visibly damaged, with one large crack around the rim. But it's largely intact.

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Emily Mae Czachor

Emily Mae Czachor is a reporter and news editor at CBSNews.com. She covers breaking news, often focusing on crime and extreme weather. Emily Mae has previously written for outlets including the Los Angeles Times, BuzzFeed and Newsweek.

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