Strictly Come Dancing announce decision on Nick Knowles' future - as he's seeing looking downcast on drive to studio
DIY SOS star Nick Knowles is not competing in Strictly Come Dancing this week following an injury to his knee during rehearsals, and as the Saturday 5 October edition of the show began, hosts Claudia Winkleman and Tess Daly revealed his future on the series. Claudia revealed that Nick will receive a ‘bye,’ as per the competition’s rules, which means he will be able to return and compete next week.
Unfortunately it means that fans will never see his and professional dance partner Luba Mushtuk’s interpretation of the Paddington 2 song Rain on the Roof during Movie Week this week. Nick was spotted looking thoughtful in a car being driven by his girlfriend on the way to the Strictly studio, where he is expected to watch his fellow dancers compete in the themed evening.
The show kicked off with the judges getting into the spirit of Movie Week, with Craig Revel Horwood dressed as Pirates of the Caribbean character Jack Sparrow, Motsi Mabuse as Whitney Houston in The Bodyguard, Anton Du Beke going full Blue Steel as Zoolander, and head judge Shirley Ballas arriving from the sky as Mary Poppins.
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The news that Nick would not be able to dance was announced on Friday, and a message was shared by Strictly to confirm his absence. "Unfortunately, Nick Knowles sustained an injury during rehearsals and as a result, will not dance this weekend. As per the rules of the competition, Nick and Luba will receive a bye through to next week when he is hopefully able to dance again. Everyone at Strictly Come Dancing wishes Nick a speedy recovery."
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Nick also addressed his fans on X, posting the Strictly statement and adding: "I'm absolutely gutted and feeling very very sad." His current injury, to his knee following a bad landing from a jump in rehearsals, is the second he has suffered since joining Strictly.
Nick's first injury to his arm and shoulder happened after his car broke down during the weekend of the first live show and he had to quickly change a tyre by the roadside because his young son was in the car and he wanted to make sure his family was safe. It meant he was dancing with the pain of the injury during the live show on Saturday 28 September, but a few days before his performance he confirmed to BBC's Morning Live that although the injury was still bothering him, he was improving by the day.
Speaking about his arm, he said at the time: "I'm a lot better. The arm's getting stronger every day and I'm feeling better. The strength is getting better each day. We'll need to build this dance a little but around it, but anyway, it's not an excuse this week I'm either good enough or I'm not."
