| Nick Knowles | |
|---|---|
Nick at the premiere of 'Run Fat Boy Run' in Leicester Square, London. Image David Johnson |
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| Born | Nicholas Simon Augustine Knowles 21 September 1962 Southall, London, England |
| Residence | London |
| Nationality | English |
| Education | St Louis Middle School, Suffolk |
| Occupation | Television presenter |
| Known for | Television presenter Columnist |
| Children | Charlie, Tuesday and Tyrian |
| Website | |
| http://www.nickknowles.com/ | |
Nicholas Simon Augustine Knowles[1] (born 21 September 1962) is an English television presenter.[2] He is best known for presenting DIY SOS on the BBC. He has also presented Mission Africa, UK's Worst, City Hospital, Coast to Coast, Five's Company, Departure Lounge[3] and Real Rescues.
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Knowles was born in Southall, London on 21 September 1962. He has one brother, John, and three sisters, Karen, Angela and Sheila.[2]
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.[2]
After leaving school, Knowles started work as a labourer before starting his own business. He still holds controlling shares of his company.
He is principally known as the main host of DIY SOS, a home renovation series which has been broadcast on BBC One since 1999. He has also presented the BBC factual show Real Rescues since 2007.
Knowles has also hosted several entertainment programmes, including Who Dares Wins, Last Choir Standing, Guesstimation, Secret Fortune and Perfection. He also presented New Year Live with Kate Silverton on New Year's Eve aboard HMS Belfast in London. In 2005, he was one of the celebrities who took part in Comic Relief does Fame Academy.[3]
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.[4] In the same year, he also reported on the plight of orphaned orang-utans for an edition of Saving Planet Earth. In 2009, he 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. In April 2007 he 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 October 2007, he 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.
Knowles has done much work for charity and has been a regular supporter of the children's anti-bullying charity Act Against Bullying.[5] He sang "Addicted to Love" for Children in Need 2008.
Knowles has three children called Charlie, Tuesday and Tyrian.[6] .[7]
Knowles is mentioned in the song Upon Westminster Bridge by the band Half Man Half Biscuit.
He is also a collector of top hats. [8]