Former footballer Robbie Fowler was confident he could have made it to the last hurdle of Channel 4 ski show The Jump, before his unfortunate last run saw him eliminated.
"I'm not saying I could have won it, but I certainly think I could have got to the final," he said, after fluffing his attempt at the final challenge.
The 41-year-old said that he was in the wrong frame of mind as he took on the nerve-wracking sky jump because he had asked a trainer at the last moment if it was definitely safe.
"It was the first time I had asked and everyone okayed it," he told the Press Association, "but then I just went..... I mistimed the jump, I tried to ski down on one leg and get over the blue line but it wasn't to be and I ended up face-planting the snow.
"I'm a team player and I always want to be involved, so I'm a bit gutted."
Sunday night's show saw the celebrity contestants take on the skeleton event - another tough challenge for Fowler who said he "hit every wall on the way down".
But despite his last-minute jump nerves, the ex-Liverpool star insisted that he never felt at risk on the show.
Responding to criticism of the programme, which has a history of contestant injuries, he said: "All these people who come out and say it's not safe are absolutely ridiculous.
"If it's dangerous then they don't let you do it, the people who run the show have respect for the individual who is about to perform.
"If you do everything properly under the right tuition then everything is fine.
"I could go onto a football pitch and get injured - anything you do in any walk of life potentially has something there that could become a little bit adverse."
His comments came less than a week after the news that retired cyclist Sir Bradley Wiggins had broken his leg during the competition.
Describing Sir Bradley as an important member of the squad and great to be around, he said: "We are all gutted but what happened, happened."
Having escaped injury himself, Fowler said taking part in the show had been one of the best experiences of his life.
He added: "I've had a ball and I would absolutely love to do it again.
"Seven weeks ago I had never been on a ski, but I've had my family out and I think skiing holidays are my new favourite now."
:: The Jump returns to Channel 4 at 6.30pm on Sunday.