Johnny Knoxville is "alive and well"

The hoax read: "He was being filmed parachuting from a bi-plane whilst eating a catering sized tub of Heinz baked beans, when his parachute failed to open.

"Tragically the backup chute also failed, and Knoxville plummeted to his death."

The hoax also claimed a cameraman from the show had been killed during recent filming.

An MTV spokesman admitted the hoax was not the first.

"It is all a rumour. He is alive and well, fine and dandy.

Extreme danger

"It is always happening. It has been other people but Johnny is a favourite for hoaxers."

The show - which sees the stars perform extremely dangerous stunts - has consistently courted controversy.

A 13-year-old in Boston in the US was burned last year after setting himself on fire in an attempt to repeat a stunt from the show.

In January this year, a 14-year-old in Devon suffered serious burns while trying to produce a video to send to the show of the stunt.

And a segment imitating the egg-eating competition from the movie Cool Hand Luke was condemned by nutritionists in the UK.