DIY SOS star Nick Knowles has been forced to pull out of Saturday night’s Strictly Come Dancing after he injured his knee in a shock fall during a rehearsal

BBC presenter Nick Knowles has sensationally pulled out of the upcoming Strictly Come Dancing live show.

The DIY SOS presenter has been forced to quit after picking up a second injury. Nick, 62, has reportedly found himself on crutches following a dress rehearsal disaster when he did a jump and took a bad landing.

This marks the second time misfortune has hit Nick during his time on Strictly after he previously hurt his shoulder and arm whilst changing a car tyre. An insider disclosed: “Nick won’t be able to take part in Strictly tomorrow night after hurting his knee.” They explained the unfortunate incident: “He was in a dress rehearsal with his dance partner Luba Mushtuk when he did a jump and landed awkwardly.”

The source went on to reveal that Nick is currently using crutches to get around is “being supported by the Strictly team” after the “devastating blow”. “They are sending him for scans and are doing everything they can to make sure he is okay,” the insider added before noting Nick being determined to fight and come back from this.

Nick in a sling with his partner on It Takes Two
This is the second injury Nick Knowles has picked up during hid Strictly stint 
Image:
BBC)

As to Nick’s spirits, the source told The Sun : “This new injury has been a real blow and he is incredibly upset about it. “Luba and Nick are hoping it is just something minor and that he can recover in time for next week.” Nick and Luba were scheduled to perform the Charleston to Rain on the Roof from Paddington 2 on Saturday for Movie Week.

Confirming the news to the Mirror, a spokesperson for Strictly stated: “Unfortunately, Nick Knowles sustained an injury during rehearsals and as a result, will not dance this weekend.” Clarifying the rules regarding Nicks situation, they concluded: “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.”

Nick himself also addressed the news to express how disappointed he was in his misfortune. Taking to X in the wake of his health update making headlines, the star wrote: “I’m absolutely gutted and feeling very very sad” – alongside a sad face emoji.

Appearing on Strictly’s It Takes Two tonight, Nick confirmed his future on the BBC show. He said: “During our rehearsal today… Unfortunately I damaged my knee and it’s quite painful. So the physios have decided I need to go for a MRI (scan).”

His professional partner, Luba Mushtuk added: “Unfortunately we will not be dancing tomorrow but we really, really hope that the knee will be better for next week and we’ll be back on the dancefloor. Fingers crossed, we really hope that we’ll be back and see you guys very soon.”

Trying to put a brave face on things, Nick added: “Even if we have to glitter up the crutches, I am determined to get back and try and dance for you next week.”

The 20th anniversary series of Strictly only kicked off a few weeks ago but this is already Nick’s second injury! The DIY guru was seen with his arm in a sling last week, having injured it while changing a car tyre and leaving him with only a few hours to prepare for his dance routine at the weekend.

nick and luba in a training room
Nick previously said getting a week off for injury was ‘cheating’
Speaking on BBC’s Morning Live this Tuesday, Nick confirmed that although the injury was still troubling him, there was daily improvement. He optimistically shared, “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.”

Determined to compete, Nick revealed, “We were offered the chance of a bye but I felt like that would be cheating and we really should try and go for it. I spoke to the physios and once that was decided, you just throw yourself into it. The harder you work, the more confidence you gain.” He concluded with high praise for his dance partner, saying, “I consider myself incredibly fortunate to have Luba as my teacher, shaping me like a finely-tailored suit which I then make look like I’ve slept in it overnight.”

Nick has received praise for his recent dance, which included lifts despite his arm injury. He discussed how he and Luba must adapt their then upcoming performance to accommodate his injury. Nick hinted the now-scrapped dance would be a high-energy routine, saying: “The rehearsal is going very well. It could be a fast one or it could be a slow one but if you look at the state of me, if it’s a slow one, I’m in real trouble.” Luba expressed excitement about their routine, saying: “It is a really fun dance and we started this morning really, really strong.”