Nick Knowles: The TV titan’s journey from DIY SOS to Strictly, and jamming with Biffy Clyro in-between

Knowles has lent his hand to numerous types of TV formats during a long career

Award-winning veteran British TV presenter Nick Knowles is competing in this year's edition of Strictly Come Dancing, adding to his long list of credits on the small screen.

Knowles, 61, told the BBC: "I’m so, so excited to be doing Strictly this year. People may be more used to me getting stuck in on a building site or travelling the world, but dancing live on TV will be a whole new adventure.”

He added: "I’ve spent my whole life learning new skills and I’ve never been afraid of a challenge – there’s life in the old dog yet to take on one more big one – being taught how to dance! I’ll give it my everything... and try not to embarrass my kids of course!”

Knowles's career in television began as a production runner before becoming a reporter for TVS in South East on their show Coast to Coast until 1992. Following that, Knowles had stints on ITV and Channel 5 before finding his biggest success to date with DIY SOS, which began on BBC One in 1999.

The home improvement show, which ran until 2010 before being rebranded as DIY SOS: The Big Build, has aired 32 seasons during its long-running stint, with more than 240 episodes being broadcast in that time.

In December 2019, the show was presented with a special Bafta award at a tribute event in Bristol in recognition of its outstanding creative contribution to television. Knowles was involved in a brief scandal in 2021 after appearing in a commercial for the cereal Shreddies, which threatened to violate the BBC’s rules on commercial deals.

The list of television formats that Knowles has lent himself to also includes numerous game shows (Who Dares Wins, Perfection, Secret Fortune, 5-Star Family Reunion), travel documentaries (Nick Knowles' Railway Journeys, Into the Grand Canyon with Nick Knowles, Nick Knowles in South America) and factual daytime series such as City Hospital and Real Rescues.

Given Knowles is one of the most familiar faces on British TV, it won't be surprising that Strictly won't be his first celebrity-based contest show either, with the star having competed on the 2018 edition of I'm Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here. He finished sixth overall.

Knowles on the 2018 edition of ‘I’m a Celebrity’ (ITV)

Knowles hasn't restricted himself exclusively to TV during his career. In 2016 he co-wrote the comedy movie Golden Years about a group of pensioners who tour National Trust properties and rob nearby banks, played by Simon Callow, Una Stubbs, Alun Armstrong, Bernard Hill, Virginia McKenna and Phil Davis.

He's also had a keen interest in music throughout his life and in 2017 wrote his first and, to this date, last album called Every Kind of People, which reached 92 in the UK album charts. The record, which mostly consists of covers by artists such as Robert Palmer, John Mayer, Joni Mitchell and The Beatles, reportedly came about after a representative from Universal saw him jamming with several other acts, one of which he claims was Biffy Clyro.

Aside from his work in the entertainment world, Knowles also supports several charities and in 2017 confirmed he was “flexitarian”, eating "mostly vegan food, occasionally veggie if vegan not available, rarely meat and fish”.

However, his stint on the show has been scuppered by injury - which will rule him out of this weekend’s live performance.