Nick Knowles

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Nicholas Simon Augustine Knowles (born 21 September 1962)[1] is an English television presenter, writer and musician. He has hosted several television programmes including Real Rescues (2007–2013), Who Dares Wins (2007–2019), Break the Safe (2013–2014), 5-Star Family Reunion (2015–2016), and DIY SOS (1999–present).

Early life

Knowles was born in Southall, Middlesex.[2] At the age of 11, Knowles moved to Mildenhall in Suffolk,[2] attending St Louis Middle School in Bury St Edmunds,[2] and moved again, attending Gunnersbury Catholic School for Boys. After another family move to Deakin Leas in Tonbridge, he attended the Skinners' School in Tunbridge Wells, Kent,[3] where he passed eight O-levels, and excelled at rugby.[3]

Leaving school at 16, he had a number of entry-level jobs as a labourer, petrol station assistant and salesman.[2] He played in bands from the age of 14 and was constantly writing music, poetry and comedy, until he submitted a script to a BBC2 programme that invited children to make a video.[2][4]

Career

Television

Knowles began as a runner in television production, before moving into presenting.[5] Knowles was a reporter for TVS in the South East, reporting on the nightly news programme Coast to Coast.[6]

He is principally known as the main host of DIY SOS,[6] a home renovation series broadcast on BBC One since 1999,[6] and has presented the BBC factual show Real Rescues since 2007. Knowles has also hosted several entertainment programmes for the BBC since signing an exclusive contract with them,[5] including Who Dares Wins,[6] Last Choir Standing,[6] Guesstimation,[6] Secret Fortune,[6] and Perfection.[6]

Knowles has also presented programmes with a wildlife theme. In 2007, he fronted Mission Africa, in which a team of volunteers constructed a game reserve in Kenya. During this project, Knowles fell from a Land Rover, dislocating his shoulder. He flew back to the UK to receive emergency treatment. In the same year, he reported on the plight of orphaned orangutans for an edition of Saving Planet Earth. In 2009, Knowles coTemplate:Nbhpresented the BBC reality TV series Wildest Dreams with James Honeyborne, in which novice candidates had to complete a set of challenging tasks filming wild animals in Africa. The winner joined the BBC Natural History Unit on a one-year placement.[7]

From 2011 to 2015, Knowles was the presenter of the BBC game show Perfection,[6] in which the candidates must achieve absolute perfection to win the jackpot, aired weekdays on BBC One. From 2013 to 2014, he presented the BBC National Lottery game show Break the Safe. In 2015, Knowles began presenting the new BBC One National Lottery game show 5-Star Family Reunion, which returned for a second series in 2016.[8]

In May 2016, Knowles presented Invictus: The Road to the Games, a one-off programme for the BBC. Knowles earned between £300,000 and £349,999 as a BBC presenter for the financial year 2016–2017.[9]

In 2018, he participated in the eighteenth series of I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out Of Here!, finishing in sixth place, after being voted out on 6 December.[10]

From April 2019, he presented the BBC show Home Is Where the Art Is, in which he challenges three artists to create beautiful artwork for people they've never met. The show ran for a second series in 2021.[11]

In May 2021, it was reported that Knowles was holding talks with the BBC regarding his role as the main host of DIY SOS due to his appearance in a Shreddies TV advert which violated BBC's commercial agreements and guidelines.[12] A week later, the BBC announced that they had resolved the issue and Knowles would return to his DIY SOS role with filming to resume in the coming months and is expected to be back on screens in 2022.[13]

Between August and September 2021, Knowles presented the Channel 5 series Nick Knowles' Big House Clearout.[14]

In September 2024, Knowles was a contestant on the twenty-second series of BBC's Strictly Come Dancing, partnered with professional dancer Luba Mushtuk. Having injured his shoulder before the second show, he had to perform an American Smooth, to the song "Parklife" by Blur, after only 16Template:Nbsphours of training.[15] He did not perform in the third week due to injury and as a result, his Charleston to "Rain on the Roof" (from Paddington 2) was postponed to the following week.[16] In the fourth week, he performed his Movie Week Charleston, but was eliminated in the dance off.[17]

Film

Knowles was a co-writer on the film Golden Years, which stars Simon Callow, Virginia McKenna and Una Stubbs.[6]

Music

He released his first and last music album, Every Kind Of People, on 3 November 2017.[18][19] It entered the UK Albums Chart at No. 92.[20]

Personal life

Knowles was married to his first wife Gillian Knowles from 1996 to 2000, and they share a son and daughter.[21][5][22] He dated his second wife Jessica Rose Moor from 2009; they married in September 2012[23] but divorced in 2017.[24] Knowles has four children in total.[25] In 2021 he was reportedly dating Katie Dadzie and the couple became engaged.[26] The two married on 7 June 2025 at Braxted Park in Essex.[27][28]

His brother has a record company and his three sisters all became dancers.[3]

In 2018 he was reported to be living in Spain.[29]

In June 2019, Knowles was issued with a six-month driving ban and fined £1,480 for speeding and using a mobile phone whilst driving. Speaking outside the court in Cheltenham, he said: "For me, this was a wake-up call, and putting my phone in the boot of my car now stops the temptation."[30]

Interests and charity support

In November 2013, Knowles and his then wife Jessica opened an antiques shop and home design consultancy in Eton, Berkshire.[31]

Knowles plays rugby and adheres to a dietary regimen that is vegan "80 per cent of the time".[32] In 2016, he became involved with a Shrewsbury-based vegan restaurant called O'Joy.[33] The restaurant closed in November 2017.[34]

Knowles has been a regular supporter of the children's anti-bullying charity Act Against Bullying. He sang "Addicted to Love" for Children in Need 2008.[4]

Filmography

Television

Year Title Role Notes
1994–2002 Ridge Riders Presenter
1997–1999 5's Company Co-presenter Daytime series
1999–2010 DIY SOS Presenter Primetime series
2002 Airline Himself[35] Fly-on-the-wall documentary
2003–2004 Judgemental Presenter Game show
2003–2005 City Hospital Co-presenter Daytime series
2005 Hollyoaks Fraud Patroller
2007–2011, 2013 Real Rescues Co-presenter Daytime series
2007–2019 Who Dares Wins Presenter Game show
2008 Last Choir Standing Co-presenter
2009 Guesstimation Presenter National Lottery game show
Wildest Dreams
2010–present DIY SOS: The Big Build Primetime BBC series
2011–2012 Secret Fortune National Lottery game show
2011–2015 Perfection Daytime game show
2013–2014 Break the Safe National Lottery game show
2014, 2016–present Close Calls: On Camera
2015–2016 5-Star Family Reunion[36] Game show
2016 Invictus: The Road to the Games One-off special
The Retreat 5-part series
2017 Mind Over Marathon
2018 I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here! Contestant 6th place
2021–present Nick Knowles' Big House Clearout Presenter Primetime series[37]
2021 Nick Knowles' New Homes Home improvement series[38]
Nick Knowles Heritage Rescue Historical buildings restoration series[39]
2022 Nick Knowles' Railway Journeys Travel documentary series[40]
2023 Into the Grand Canyon with Nick Knowles Two-part travel documentary[41]
Amazing Railway Adventures with Nick Knowles Travel series[42]
Into Death Valley with Nick Knowles Two-part travel documentary[43]
Between the Covers Guest One episode[44]
2024 The Mighty Mississippi with Nick Knowles Presenter Two-part travel documentary[45]
Nick Knowles in South America Three-part travel documentary[46]
Strictly Come Dancing Contestant Series 22

Film

Year Title Role Notes
2016 Golden Years Co-writer, executive producer Comedy film

Discography

Studio albums

Title Details Peak chart positions
UK
[47]
Every Kind of People[18] 92

Singles

Year Title Album
2017 "River" Every Kind of People
"Make You Feel My Love"
"Every Kinda People"

Music videos

Year Title Director(s)
2017 "River" —
"Make You Feel My Love"
"Every Kinda People"

References

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External links

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  1. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
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  5. ↑ a b c Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  6. ↑ a b c d e f g h i j Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  7. ↑ Press Office – Mission Impossible for Nick Knowles. BBC (15 September 2006). Retrieved on 13 August 2013.
  8. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  9. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  10. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  11. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
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  15. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
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  17. ↑ https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/tv/news/strictly-come-dancing-nick-knowles-eliminated-b2628498.html Template:Bare URL inline
  18. ↑ a b Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
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  20. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  21. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  22. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  23. ↑ Interiors – Nick Knowles Template:Webarchive. Fabulous Mag. Retrieved on 13 August 2013.
  24. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  25. ↑ Nick Knowles website - Personal. Accessed 24 July 2016
  26. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  27. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  28. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  29. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  30. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  31. ↑ Nick Knowles opens antiques shop in Eton Template:Webarchive. Slough Observer. 15 November 2011.
  32. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  33. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  34. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
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