Nick Knowles was forced to pay for his knee surgery after Strictly Come Dancing ‘refused’ to pay.
The DIY SOS star, 62, had to pull out of this year’s live shows in October after seriously injuring his knee during rehearsals.
After undergoing two major operations to help him “walk normally again”, Nick asked the BBC to help him with his rehabilitation costs.
According the sunIn a now edited post, he said: ‘Thank you for all the amazing messages. To answer some questions. . . the brace helps keep it stable while I recover.
‘No, the strict insurance did not cover the operations. I paid for them myself, but I hope they will help me with the rehabilitation.
MailOnline has contacted the BBC for comment.
Nick Knowles, 62, forced to pay for knee surgery after Strictly Come Dancing ‘refused’ to pay
After undergoing two major operations to help him “walk normally again”, Nick pleaded with the BBC to help him with his rehabilitation costs (pictured with fiancée Katie Dadzie).
The DIY SOS star had to pull out of this year’s live shows in October after seriously injuring her knee during rehearsals.
Earlier this week, Nick revealed that he’s learning to walk “normally” again as he shared a candid clip of himself attempting to climb stairs with crutches, with the help of a medical professional.
In the video, Nick is also equipped with knee and elbow pads as he slowly progresses step by step, admitting that he hopes to be “back to 100% fit” by August 2025.
Updating his 312,000 followers, he wrote in the caption: “So it wasn’t in my letter to Santa for two major operations: one to reattach my bicep and a second to build a new ACL and repair my two-year-old meniscus.” “.
‘Thank you to my two magnificently talented surgeons: Mr Ahrens for the bicep and Mr Jig Patel for the knee.
“Three types of knee brace and one type of elbow brace – crutches – pressure and ice machine ready for the game – pressure tights – physio stretching for the next few months, but I want to be able to walk normally by the beginning of February for the next DIYSOS.”
He added: ‘Katie, my fiancé, has been patient, supportive and surprisingly patient with me – the worst patient in the world.
“It’s been frustrating and very expensive, but I’m determined to get back to 100% fitness, which I hope will be around August 2025. Thank you for all the good wishes and encouragement. Happy New Year everyone.”
It comes after Nick took to his Instagram to explain his absence from the Strictly final earlier this month.
In a now edited post, he said: ‘Thank you for all the amazing messages. To answer some questions. . . the brace helps keep it stable while I recover. No, Strictly insurance did not cover the operations. I paid for them myself, but I hope they will help me with the rehabilitation.
Katie supported Nick as they went for a short walk in Berkshire on Sunday.
Nick looked visibly in pain as he struggled to walk with crutches.
The lovebirds loaded up on their PDA during the outing.
The DIY SOS star filmed herself watching the show live from the comfort of Katie’s Berkshire home.
Nick revealed that he would not be appearing on the show or in the dance group after having knee surgery two days earlier due to the injury he suffered while competing in the competition.
He first suffered a shoulder injury while changing a tire on his car and then a failed knee jump during a dance rehearsal left him on crutches.
The presenter told his followers: ‘Hello everyone. It’s Saturday night and the grand final is on television. I’m watching it, just like you, but from home instead of being in the studio because, unfortunately, I had major surgery on my arm and now I’ve had surgery on my leg as well.
‘As a result, the surgery is only two days away, so I can’t be there.
“But I’m sitting here watching the amazing show like you, wishing the best of luck to my friends, JB, Sarah, Chris and Tasha, who all deserve to be champions, so I hope they all do very well.”
‘Thank you for all your lovely well wishes and for wishing me a speedy recovery. I’m so sorry I can’t be there with everyone else too. It has been the most wonderful experience.
“Merry Christmas everyone, happy New Year and congratulations to whoever wins the final.”
Nick revealed he is learning to walk “normally” again as he shared a candid clip of himself attempting to climb stairs with crutches, with the help of a medical professional.
Updating her 312,000 followers, she wrote in the caption: “So it wasn’t in my letter to Santa for two major operations.”
He thanked his “two magnificently talented surgeons: Mr Ahrens for the bicep and Mr Jig Patel for the knee” (pictured in October).
Disaster first struck Nick during a dress rehearsal with his Strictly professional partner Luba Mushtuk, in which the star reportedly took a jump and landed badly.
Alongside the clip, he wrote: “So I can’t be there in the final because I’m only two days away from surgery and it was a pretty big operation on my knee – for those who want to know, it was a full ACL.” reconstruction and two meniscus repairs that included removal of a replacement tendon from my hamstring, and I’m still recovering from surgery to reattach my distal biceps, which also makes movement with crutches difficult.
‘Had to have the operation now to be mobile and ready to start filming on @BBCDIYSOS in early February.
“There is a lot of rehabilitation and work with the physiotherapists left, but I will do it as hard as I did the dance training and success will be achieved in stages.”
“First, to be able to walk without crutches, climb stairs, walk safely on uneven ground by February and then dance too, as I have to be able to dance for the first time at my wedding in June and I am confident that if I work hard, I will be back be 100% like new in approximately 8 months.
‘Best of luck to my friends competing tonight and to those who are back together in the studio. I loved the dancing and the camera, the injuries not so much.
‘Merry Christmas everyone and thank you for your wonderful messages wishing me a speedy recovery.
“This year I have a great job with more amazing DIY SOS shows, two of which we have already filmed and many wonderful families to introduce to you – soon there will also be two incredible travel shows through Mongolia, which are epic and beautiful and packed of incredible people.
‘So as I lay on the couch looking like half Darth Vader with all the added robotic accessories, I wish you a Merry Christmas and a New Year full of adventure and fun. See you in 2025.’
It comes after Nick took to his Instagram to explain his absence from the Strictly final earlier this month.
The star filmed himself watching the show live from the comfort of his fiancee Katie Dadzie’s home in Berkshire.
Nick has kept his followers up to date with his operation.
He wrote: “There is a lot of rehabilitation and work with the physiotherapists left, but I will do it as hard as I did the dance training and success will be achieved in stages.”
Nick hopes to recover in time for his first dance at his wedding to Katie next summer.
He shared: ‘We have booked our wedding for next summer and the plan is for us to do a first dance. It won’t be a full Strictly routine, but I’m determined to have a special dance with Katie.
The TV veteran praised his “amazing” Katie for taking him to his hospital appointments and even “putting on his pants” as he can’t do it himself at the moment.