Nick Knowles is back on DIY SOS: The Big Build with his hard hat and steel-tapped boots as his enforced absence of one episode is put behind him for a new extended run of shows. The home makeover programme is back in the BBC One schedules for a its 32nd series starting at 8pm on Tuesday (May 10).
For more than 20 years, in a variety of formats, viewers have seen Nick, 59, and team working with volunteers across the UK on improving the living conditions of those in need. Whether they have been injured in an accident, suffered illness or other life-changing incidents, the DIY SOS crew has been there to rally volunteers to transform their homes.
Projects can see everything from walk-in bathrooms, disabled access, landscaped gardens and room makeovers take place against a tight deadline. And after having to miss the BBC Children in Need special due to his appearance on a Shreddies TV advert, Nick is firmly back as main presenter.
And rallying his fans on twitter, Nick said: "DIY SOS The Big Build is back! The new series begins on BBC One [on] Tuesday, 10th May at 8pm."
Episodes and broadcast dates
- May 10 – Kettering, North Northamptonshire
- May 17 – Corby, North Northamptonshire
- May 24 – Southmead, Bristol
- May 31 – Longframlington, Northumberland
- June 7 – Stoke
- June 14– Charlton Kings, Cheltenham, Gloucestershire
There was some initial confusion as when tweeting about the show's return, the DIY SOS twitter account had listed a seventh episode, in Scunthorpe. But BBC confirmed that the Scunthorpe episode is a repeat.
Nick Knowles said: “I’m so excited we are bringing a series of brand new episodes to air which were filmed before, during and after the pandemic.
"You can expect the usual camaraderie with lots of emotion and laughter. So many people turned out to help communities and families in need despite their own challenges and suppliers have been so generous – It’s been really life affirming.
"DIY SOS has always been about helping each other which for me was also the story of lockdown, so this is a celebration of people’s fortitude and generosity. We live in a hugely generous society and it’s good to be reminded of that in amongst all the bad news we’ve all had to endure.”
Over the past 23 years, more than 200 episodes have aired and more than 20,000 volunteers have given their time, completing over £18 million worth of builds. In that time, the build series has completed a range of residential and community projects in locations including Cornwall, Newcastle, Northern Ireland, Scotland, and Wales to name a few.
BBC synopsis of Kettering episode
Midwife Lindsey married ex-Royal Engineer Shaun in 2019. Lindsey had two children from a previous marriage and then had two boys with Shaun. In the summer of 2021, they began to extend their house, with a local builder working with them to put in the foundations, walls and roof, and to get the extension up to first fix. The plan was for Shaun to finish the build himself.
Several months after starting the build, Shaun fell ill. Initially, he had an operation on his kidneys and bowel, but within months he was struck down by an aggressive cancer and tragically died In November 2021. Lindsey and her four are devastated, and their grief is compounded by the fact that their home is currently uninhabitable.
But help is on hand as the DIY SOS team, along with designer Gabrielle Blackman and hundreds of local trades, volunteers and some of Shaun’s old army buddies, step in to finish the job and get this lovely family back home.
Other episodes:
The team will also complete a build for Jordan, a remarkable teenager with cerebral palsy and epilepsy, who has raised huge sums of money for charity. The series also includes two community builds in Southmead and Stoke which will serve hundreds of people of all age groups for years to come.
DIY SOS: The Big Build begins on BBC on Tuesday, May 10 and will be available on iPlayer after broadcast
