EastEnders star Adam Woodyatt suffered head and shoulder injuries in a cycling accident while training for a charity bike ride.
The actor, who plays Ian Beale in the BBC soap, suffered a broken collarbone, head injuries and multiple lacerations to the face and body.
He has now been forced to cancel his forthcoming bike ride from Land’s End to John O’Groats to raise money for cancer research.
The accident happened on Friday evening as Woodyatt cycled near his home in Southam, Warwickshire.
The 34-year-old was not wearing a helmet and came off his bicycle at 22mph after hitting a grass verge.
He was taken to Warwick Hospital and released the same evening after treatment.
Woodyatt admitted he had been stupid not wearing a helmet.
“The broken collarbone couldn’t have been prevented although I could have avoided the head injuries had I been wearing my helmet,” he said.
“It was a warm evening, I was going through a final gentle training ride through roads with little traffic and I thought I wouldn’t need the helmet – how wrong I was.
“I consider myself extremely lucky that my injuries weren’t more serious.”
Woodyatt had planned to set off from Land’s End on June 22 to cycle the 900 miles to John O’Groats.
He intended to raise money for Cancer Research UK in memory of his father, who died from the disease aged 58.
The EastEnders star has also raised funds in the past for Warwick Hospital, where he was treated for his injuries.
A spokeswoman for the show said he should be well enough to return to work next month.