Noel Edmonds has enjoyed a long-running media career

Edmonds, who hosts Deal or No Deal, told men's magazine Loaded he almost crashed while out on a high-speed spin.

RoadPeace, a charity which supports crash victims and their families, branded the admission "appalling".

Edmonds's spokesman said the incident happened 30 years ago and the star now regarded it as a "moment of madness".

He is quoted as saying his Ford GT40 "needed exercise" and then almost lost control at a roundabout on the Tring bypass in Hertfordshire.

'No boast'

Rita Taylor, a trustee of RoadPeace, said: "What would have happened if there had been something on the road? He wouldn't have stood an earthly chance."

She added: "It's an appalling thing for a public figure to stand up and admit."

Edmonds' spokesman added: "He was not boasting. He was answering a straight question and it is not something he would dream of doing now."