Nick Knowles says this year’s series of Strictly was ‘last chance physically’

DIY SOS star Nick Knowles has said this year’s series of Strictly Come Dancing was his “last chance physically” to take part in the show.

The 61-year-old said he “wouldn’t be able” to perform on the BBC dancing show if he “left it any longer”.

He said his advancing years were one of his reasons for joining the show, while a Strictly and DIY SOS collaboration – which saw the programme’s team build an all-ability drama and dance school in the North East – also made him “beg” to go on the show.

Speaking about his reasons for taking part in this year’s series, Knowles said: “I’m so old, if I left it any longer I wouldn’t be able to.

“I think this is my last chance physically to be able to do it, so that was a good reason.

“But because we did a Strictly and DIY SOS collaboration last year, built a place, an all-ability drama dance school up in the North East, I then begged Anton to get me on the show.”

His professional partner Luba Mushtuk also revealed she had already danced with the Southall-born star on the set of the collaborative show.

She said: “I basically danced with him and he really enjoyed it, and so he wanted to be a part of Strictly.

“It’s wonderful, he’s a very knowledgeable man, he’s very strong as well.

“It’s still the beginning, but I think we’re going to be a great team.”

He went on to say that he felt his DIY SOS team would “rip” him for wearing spray tan and sequins when he returned to them.

Knowles said: “Because I’ve got two DIY specials to do, big builds to do during the course of this process, if I stay in longer, and when I turn up on site having worn sequins the night before with a spray tan, I don’t think they’re going to mention it, I think it’s going to be easy.

“I’m going to get ripped, I’m going to get absolutely ripped.

“You know what my lads are like on SOS, they’ve spent 25 years taking the piss out of me.

“Julian recently said to me, I had a cold and I had a beanie hat on, and he stood there looking at me for a little while, and he went ‘you’d be nothing without your hair’.

“So that’s the level of support that I’m looking to find from my building team.

“They’re just going to rip into me, but they’re also going to be super supportive as well. I know they are.”

Fellow contestant Jamie Borthwick said he had “brushed” all of his dancing knowledge out of his brain after winning the Christmas special of the show in 2023.

The 30-year-old actor said: “Because I didn’t know that Strictly was going to ask me to come back, so I kind of brushed it all out of my brain.

“But here I am again having to pick up my quickstep moves again.”

Olympian and Gladiator Montell Douglas said she had wanted to join the Strictly cast before becoming Fire on Gladiators.

The 38-year-old said: “Strictly came before Gladiators came for me to be honest.

“I’ve always wanted to do Strictly, because I never thought I’d actually be able to do it.

“I’m glad it’s given me the opportunity for sure, but I’ve always loved dance and the sparkle, glitter, just the performance element.

“I’m a creative, like (as) a sports person, you still have creative elements in what you do, and I’m so looking forward to actually just being able to learn a new skill.”