Hospital release for Bedingfield

Bedingfield 'blessed' to be alive

Singer Daniel Bedingfield has been released from a New Zealand hospital nearly two weeks after being injured in a car accident.

Bedingfield, 24, had suffered neck injuries when his jeep overturned on a road near the North Island city of Whangarei on New Year's Eve.

Bedingfield is expected to stay in New Zealand with his parents for another month recovering from his injuries.

The pop singer has three nominations in this year's Brit Awards.

He is competing in the categories for British male, British album, and pop act.

But a spokesman for the singer said he would not be well enough to attend the awards ceremony in London in February.

"He needs to stay in New Zealand to recuperate for at least a couple of months, maybe three," he said.

Bedingfield has said he is grateful to be alive after damaging vertebrae in his neck in the accident.

He had to be cut out of his car after it rolled over on a rural road as he was driving from a music festival near Whangarei.