Nick Knowles

Nicholas "Nick" Knowles (born 21 September 1962) is an English television presenter and writer best known for his presenting roles on the BBC, most notably National Lottery game shows including Who Dares Wins (2007–present), Break the Safe (2013–2014) and 5-Star Family Reunion (2015–present). Knowles also presents the DIY series DIY SOS (1999–present) for BBC One and he also co-presented the daytime series Real Rescues (2007–2013).^[6][7]

Early life

Knowles was born in Southall, Middlesex on 21 September 1962. He has one brother, John, and three sisters, Karen, Angela and Sheila.^[7]

Aged 11, Knowles moved to Mildenhall in Suffolk, attending St Louis Middle School. After his family moved again, he attended the Skinners' School in Tunbridge Wells, Kent.^[7]

Career

After leaving school, Knowles started work as a labourer before starting his own business. He still holds controlling shares of his company.

Television

Knowles began as a runner in television production, before moving into producing TV.^[4] In the early 1990s, Knowles presented a show called Ridge Riders for ITV. This featured a celebrity and another one or two guests riding classic motorcycles along off-road tracks around the UK. The viewer was treated to historic and local information about the locality as well as informal chats with the celebrity. Knowles appeared as a member of Channel 5's chat show 5's Company between 1997 and 1999.

He is principally known as the main host of DIY SOS, a home renovation series broadcast on BBC One since 1999 and has also 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,^[4] including Who Dares Wins, Last Choir Standing, Guesstimation, Secret Fortune and Perfection.

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 also reported on the plight of orphaned orang-utans for an edition of Saving Planet Earth. In 2009, Knowles co-presented 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.^[8]

From 2011 to 2015, Knowles was the presenter of BBC game show, Perfection, where 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 a new BBC One National Lottery game show 5-Star Family Reunion which will return for a second series in 2016.^[9]

In May 2016, Knowles presented Invictus: The Road to the Games, a one-off programme for the BBC.

Film

Knowles was a co-writer on the film Golden Years which stars Simon Callow, Virginia McKenna and Una Stubbs.^[10] The film was released in the UK on 28 April 2016.

Awards

In October 2007, Knowles was named by the Halifax as Britain's 'Home Idol' in a survey to find the most popular TV home improvement show presenter, beating Sarah Beeny into second place.

Personal life

Knowles married his first wife in the 1990s.^[4] Having separated from his wife, after meeting on set whilst shooting City Hospital for the BBC in 2000, Knowles lived with fellow-TV presenter Suzi Perry until September 2003.^[5] He dated his second wife Jessica Rose Moor from 2009 until they married in September 2012.^[11][12] The couple have a son, Edwin, born August 2014, but announced they were separating in January 2016. He tweeted support for Jessica in July when she was diagnosed with cervical cancer.

In April 2007, Knowles was diagnosed as suffering from tuberculosis; he believes that he contracted the illness whilst covering the TB epidemic in Zambia for Comic Relief in 2003. In November 2013, Knowles and his wife Jessica opened an antiques shop and home design consultancy in Eton, Berkshire.^[13] After rupturing an artery in his sinus in late 2014, diagnosed as due to stress, the family relocated to Andalusia, Spain in early 2015.^[1]

Knowles is a keen collector of top hats,^[14] and plays rugby. He has been a vegan for a number of years, and, in 2016, became involved with a Shrewsbury-based vegan restaurant called O'Joy.^[15]

Knowles has four children.^[16]

Charity

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.^[17]

Filmography

Television

Film

References

External links

• Official website