Strictly Come Dancing‘s Nick Knowles says he has ‘lived in his car’ in the past when his TV jobs weren’t paying.
The DIY SOS star’s dancing future on Strictly hangs in the balance after Knowles suffered an arm injury. His arm injury didn’t come from his gruelling training though, Knowles clarified that in fact he injured himself while changing a flat tyre.
Having shared his plans to see a specialist at London’s Harley Street on social media, the TV personality received a message from one person about how “the other half live”. Knowles is best known as the presenter of home renovation series DIY SOS.
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In a tweet that won him praise from his followers, the Strictly star responded to the jibe saying that he would live in his car occasionally and sleep on sofas when TV wasn’t paying the bills at home. More recently, he said he had been lucky to reap the rewards of his success on TV including having private healthcare.
One person wrote: “Must be nice to be able to go to Harley Street to get an assessment and scan whenever you want it. Most people would be on the phone for hours hoping to get through to the GP surgery or sat in A&E only to be put on a waiting list for a scan. Oh, how the other half live.”
Responding to the message, Knowles wrote back for all his followers to see: “Yes you’re right – it is. I’ve lived in my car occasionally & on other peoples sofas at times over last 40 years to keep at TV when it wasn’t paying but recently I’ve done well & been able to pay people back & look after my family including private healthcare. I’m very lucky.”
Knowles has a following of 171k on social media platform X.
Support for Nick Knowles
His followers on X shared their support for the injured star. Among the comments, one person wrote: “No explanation necessary you’ve worked hard for your success.”
Someone else said: “Work hard, take risks, follow your dreams, reap the rewards. Simple as that!”
Another added: “Thank God that you are able to do all these things now – you deserve it for all the good you have done for others x.”
Also, one person shared: “The one downside to social media is it gives people an opportunity to be judgemental and rude and that becomes their hobby. Anyone who can afford to go private and does go private is great. Some people do not realise that it then makes the NHS queue shorter.”
More praise included: “Well said Nick and if you’d gone the GP/ A & E route you would have been slated for doing that when you can afford to pay ! You can’t win.”
Following the support from fans, Knowles wanted to share that he understood the fury and that he was not offended by the comment about his visit to Harley Street.
He added: “Thank u everyone for your support & well wishes But let’s all be kind. People find themselves in very difficult circumstances atm & it’s not their fault they’re angry. When it’s difficult to know who to be angry at then Social Media can be an outlet I understand & am not offended.”
How did Nick Knowles injure his arm?
Knowles has seen a specialist and is awaiting news. He explained how he injured his arm while speaking on Strictly’s It Takes Two where he was seen with his arm in a sling. “We broke down on the motorway with a flat tyre,” he explained. “It was raining and there were big lorries going past. So I tried to do it quickly and change the tyre quickly, and as I took the tyre off I basically damaged my bicep and damaged my arm…
“And then I went on and I was like, ‘It’s fine, I’ve hurt it but I’m OK’ and then it got worse and worse and worse. I actually missed my birthday party because of being stuck on the motorway.”
If everything goes to plan, Knowles will return to the Strictly dance floor with his pro dancer Luba Mushtuk to perform an American Smooth to Blur’s Parklife.
Strictly Come Dancing returns to BBC One on Saturday.