The presenter told Digital Spy that he "wasn't in any danger" when the car drove into a ditch while he was filming for Comic Relief.
A car has crashed into a ditch feet away from the boys. Everyone is fine, but a big lucky escape. #DermotKenya pic.twitter.com/KwOLARN2bE
— Red Nose Day (@rednoseday) March 7, 2015
"To be honest, where I was - I was about four or five feet away from it, and it wasn't that bad - but it could have been had the car lurched forward a little bit more, which could quite easily have happened," he said.
The television presenter was filming in Kenya and spending 24 hours with three homeless boys in the city of Kisumu when the incident happened. The car crashed into a ditch very close to where the boys were sleeping.
"It was one of those things that didn't feel like it was serious at the time," added O'Leary. "And then ten minutes later we all looked at each other and went, 'Actually, do you know what, that could have been quite dangerous for those kids'.
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"I wasn't in any danger," he went on. "But you know what, that sort of felt weird. Because in this weird world of news values, actually three or four Kenyan children's lives were in danger and what's interesting is that wasn't reported. And that's a shame.
Red Nose Day airs on Friday, March 13 from the London Palladium, and will be broadcast on BBC One and Two.
Watch the Comic Relief 2015 trailer below:
