An Ilkeston man will be joining Nick Knowles and the rest of the cast in the BBC One series DIY SOS: The Big Build. Ian Hodgkinson will be the new project manager on the popular show which has been running for more than 20 years.
Ian, who started out as an apprentice brickie, is founder and managing director of Pride Park-based Hodgkinson Builders in Derby. He will be responsible for managing on-site tradespeople and overseeing new projects, working alongside familiar faces including Chris Frediani, Billy Byrne and designer Gabrielle Blackman.
The first episode, due to be filmed in July, will see the team transform a dilapidated building in Wallsend, North Tyneside, into a performing arts school for 500 children and young adults, many of whom have additional learning needs.
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Ian is no stranger to the small screen, having recently starred alongside his construction team in Brickies, a BBC fly-on-the-wall documentary that was this year shortlisted for a Broadcast Award. He has also previously contributed his building services on previous series of DIY SOS.
Ian said: “When I was approached to become the show’s new project manager, I could not believe it. It’s a fantastic opportunity and it genuinely is a dream come true to help communities and deserving causes.
“Just like with the Brickies series, I am looking forward to highlighting the benefits of working in the building trade, in the hope that more young apprentices will want to make a career out of it."
Ian added: “I’m really looking forward to working with Nick again. He’s a great guy to work with, a genuine bloke. What you see on TV is what you get in real life. I first met him two decades ago, and thankfully we’ve always stayed in touch.”
Audiences can watch DIY SOS The Big Build on BBC One and BBC iPlayer later this year. Presenter, Nick Knowles said: "Ian has been a brilliant friend of DIY SOS for 20 years, bringing teams of volunteer bricklayers to help us out on many occasions. He’s a brilliant project manager and I’m looking forward to working closely with him on coming SOS builds.”
Starting out in Ian’s hometown of Ilkeston, Hodgkinson Builders was launched in 1990. A specialist in residential developments, Ian has always been a champion of high-quality social housing as well as pursuing a life-long commitment to encouraging young apprentices into the construction industry.
He was the inspiration behind The Sun's 'Builder Better Britain' campaign a few months back
