A seemingly innocuous fall from his 6ft-tall penny-farthing bicycle led broadcaster Jeremy Vine to an unexpected discovery about his heart, prompting significant lifestyle changes.

The incident, which occurred near his home two years ago, revealed a minor cardiac issue that Vine believes may have inadvertently extended his life.

Recounting the accident, the BBC Radio 2 presenter said: "Stupidly, I went over some grass and there was a divot and I flew over the handlebars and thought, ‘I’m not going to survive this’.

“I was knocked out, but I didn’t suffer any great long-term effect." However, the subsequent hospital visit proved more revealing.

"But when they took me to A&E they gave me all these scans and said, ‘The only thing you need to worry about is that you’ve got a tiny bit of calcification in your heart’," he explained.

"It’s the classic thing where someone has an accident and then you discover something else.…