Peloton have responded to the shock death in the Sex and The City spin-off And Just Like That..., as fans shared their heartbreak over a main character’s demise.
The 10-part series kicked off on Thursday, delighting viewers as Sarah Jessica Parker, Kristin Davis and Cynthia Nixon reprised their roles for the eagerly-awaited show, but fans were stunned when the first episode featured a shocking death.
Towards the end of the episode, Mr Big, played by Chris Noth, died suddenly after suffering a heart attack following a workout on a Peloton exercise bike.
Big’s love for the cult fitness machine was documented during the episode, as he talked about his favourite instructor Allegra - who is played by real-life Peloton star Jess King - and even skipped Charlotte's daughter’s dance recital in order to get a workout in.
However, after his intense session he’s seen heading to the shower as he clutches his chest and shoulder, before collapsing on the floor.
“And just like that Big died,” a heartbroken Carrie says in a voiceover.
Dr. Suzanne Steinbaum, a cardiologist from Peloton’s Health & Wellness Advisory Council, defended the exercise bike in a statement following the episode, and blamed Big’s lifestyle as the cause of his heart attack.
“I’m sure SATC fans, like me, are saddened by the news that Mr. Big dies of a heart attack,” she began.
'Mr. Big lived what many would call an extravagant lifestyle - including cocktails, cigars, and big steaks - and was at serious risk as he had a previous cardiac event in Season 6,” Dr. Steinbaum explained, referencing Big’s health woes in an earlier Sex and the City episode, in which Carrie helps him recover.
“These lifestyle choices and perhaps even his family history, which often is a significant factor, were the likely cause of his death. Riding his Peloton bike may have even helped delay his cardiac event,” she added.
Dr. Steinbaum said that more than ‘80 percent of all cardiac-related deaths are preventable’, and even heart attacks suffered by Big ‘are very, very treatable’.
“The good news is Peloton helps you track heart rate while you ride, so you can do it safely,” she added.
Peloton confirmed that it was aware that Jess King would appear as a fictional instructor in the episode and that a bike would be shown.
And on Friday morning, share prices of the popular exercise brand were down 11%.
Big’s death was met with shock and devastation on social media, with one distraught fan writing: “I will never recover I'm being so serious.”
Another fumed loyal fans had been ‘disrespected’ after leading lady Carrie was seen “chasing that love, and once she has that, she loses it again?!”
