Nick Knowles

The BBC has not cancelled DIY SOS. It has said the home renovation series will be "rested" in 2027 because of its savings challenges [1]. The current series is the last for now, and the annual Children in Need special is also being rested [2]. Nick Knowles is the host named in the BBC One anniversary listing for the show's builds [5].

What the BBC said

A BBC spokesperson said: "In light of the BBC's savings challenges we have taken the decision to rest DIY SOS in 2027" [1].

The break is paired with a spin-off called DIY SOS Rebuilt My Life. It will revisit successes from the show's past, and the BBC said it would expand the brand in a more cost-effective way next year [1]. Its producers, South Shore, are making the spin-off [1].

From a 1999 launch to 205 builds

DIY SOS first aired on 7 October 1999 [5]. Knowles's official site says he became "the face of DIY SOS on BBC One" that year, the role he is still best known for [7]. A listing for the BBC One 20th anniversary programme in 2019 put the total at 205 builds, with more than 20,000 volunteers and five projects for Children in Need [5]. That listing also said the builds had created homes and community centres worth over £16 million [5]. The totals are from that 2019 listing, not from the BBC's 2026 statement.

Royal and national projects

Hello recalled a 2015 Manchester project for veterans, carried out with the Prince of Wales and the Duke of Sussex, and a 2018 Grenfell Tower special featuring Prince William [2]. Hello describes these as part of the show's long legacy [2].

Early career on regional news

Before he presented television, Knowles worked a run of ordinary jobs. His official site lists labourer, petrol-station assistant and salesman roles in the late 1970s and 1980s [7]. A break as a television production runner followed, and then a post as a regional news reporter for TVS on its Coast to Coast programme [7]. The site does not give exact years for these roles, so none are given here.

Other BBC shows

The Soho Agency lists a run of BBC entertainment and factual shows: Real Rescues (2007 to 2011 and 2013), Who Dares Wins (2007 to 2019), Last Choir Standing (2008), Guesstimation (2009), Secret Fortune (2011 to 2012), Perfection (2011 to 2015), Break The Safe (2013 to 2014) and 5 Star Family Reunion (2015 to 2016) [6]. The same list includes The Retreat (2016), Mind Over Marathon (2017) and Home is Where the Art is (2019 to 2020) [6].

The agency's list starts earlier. It includes Sport Relief (2004), Saving Planet Earth (2007), The Big Day (2007) and Mission Africa (2007), all on the BBC, and Close Calls: On Camera (BBC One, 2014 onwards) [6]. Knowles's own site says he fronted Mission Africa, which helped build a game reserve in Kenya [7]. The agency describes him as "a familiar face on British screens for more than three decades" [6].

Channel 5 and recent work

The agency also lists several Channel 5 series, including Nick Knowles' Big House Clearout (2021 onwards), Amazing Railway Adventures with Nick Knowles (2023), The Mighty Mississippi with Nick Knowles (2024), Nick Knowles in South America (2024) and Lost in the Desert with Nick Knowles (2025) [6].

In 2018 he appeared on ITV's I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here! and finished sixth [6].

Strictly Come Dancing in 2024

He joined series 22 of Strictly Come Dancing in 2024, partnered with the professional dancer Luba Mushtuk [8]. Hello reports that he damaged his knee in rehearsal and pulled out of Movie Week, then returned to the show [8]. The couple were eliminated on Sunday 13 October 2024 in a dance-off against Shayne Ward and Nancy Xu [8]. On the results show he credited her: "The only reason I could do this is simply because of Luba's changes, she's been amazing" [8].

Films, music and books

His official site says he co-wrote and executive produced Golden Years, a comedy film directed by John Miller, in 2016 [7]. In 2017 he released the album Every Kind of People, which entered the UK Albums Chart at No. 92, and published a cookbook, Proper Healthy Food: Hearty Vegan and Vegetarian Recipes for Meat Lovers [7].

Beyond DIY SOS

Knowles's agency describes him as a television presenter, writer and broadcaster. It says he has worked in broadcasting for more than 25 years, including as a writer, director and producer [3]. Titles the agency names include Who Dares Wins, Perfection, Break the Safe, 5 Star Family Reunion and Last Choir Standing, along with Mission Africa, a BBC documentary [3]. The Soho Agency describes him as an "RTS award-winning writer" but does not name the award or its year [6].

Heart also lists Home Is Where The Heart Is, The Retreat and Nick Knowles' Big House Clear Out among his television shows [4].

Background

Knowles was born on 21 September 1962 in Southall, Middlesex [4]. His official site says he is a patron of many charities, without naming them, and that he has worked alongside the Prince and Princess of Wales and the Duke of Sussex on projects for veterans, mental health and local communities [7].