Justin Bieber “Wetten Dass?” Appearance Cancelled After Stunt Gone Wrong On LIVE TV

Justin Bieber pulled out of a live appearance on German TV on Saturday after a contestant on the longrunning European game show Wetten Dass? (Loosely Translated: Bet It?) was seriously injured while trying to bounce over five cars on stilts as millions of viewers sat glued to their television sets.

Samuel Koch, 23, is hospitalized in serious condition in the University Hospital of Dusseldorf after he bounded over a moving vehicle and landed on his face during Saturday night’s broadcast, Sky News reports.

Koch, a gymnast, was wearing a chest protector, kneepads, a helmet and “kangaroo boots.” He had four minutes to somersault over five cars. He succeeded at the first jump, balked at the second, and landed on his face as he lost his balance after jumping over the third car, which was being driven by his father.

Bieber, 16, hit his Twitter account to apologize to German fans for not being able to perform — and shoot out some prayers for Koch’s speedy recovery.

“Please pray for Samuel Koch & his family as we wait and hope for his health and safety….Some things are more important than putting on a show. We will be back I promise.”

Koch suffered multiple back injuries and fractures. He underwent surgery on Sunday. His condition remains life-threatening.

Wetten Dass features contestants attempting unlikely feats as celebrity panelists predict whether or not they will succeed. The show, now in its 30th season, is one of the country’s most successful series and an audience of about 10 million tuned in when Samuel was injured.

As Koch lay in a medically-induced coma, the show’s host, Thomas Gottschalk, is defending the decision to let Koch attempt the frightening stunt.

“In 29 years we have had lots of dangerous bets, young people climbing up walls and one young man who jumped over a house on a skateboard, and the worst we have ever had is a broken leg,” a solemn Gottschalk said during an interview on late-night TV Saturday.

“I ate with the young man (Koch) and I was reassured to see how much he was looking forward to the show, how motivated he was … I am so sorry that it ended like this….If I had had the impression that he wanted to do something that he wasn’t capable of I would have forbidden him from taking part,” Gottschalk added.

“But I didn’t have this impression at any time.”