Nick Knowles was overcome with emotion during Tuesday's This Morning (October 13) as he spoke with presenters Cat Deeley and Ben Shephard about the upcoming DIY SOS episode. The BBC star choked back tears while describing the reveal for one family, which will air on BBC One later this evening.
The long-running show is currently in its 35th series, with Nick Knowles and his team helping transform the homes of families in need. Hundreds of tradespeople volunteer to help, and the emotional stories and reveals often leave viewers in tears. This time, the presenter himself was visibly moved while reflecting on the episode.
Emotional reveal for Daniel's family
The episode sees Nick and his team help one family make their home accessible for their son Daniel, who has complex disability needs. Speaking about the reveal, Nick said: "There's this extraordinary thing at the end, we normally show the family around the house, and then the builders come down the road, which is a lovely moment because it's shocking to see 500 to 600 people come down."
He continued: "On this one, because it was his first time home from the hospital, the builder lined the route, and the ambulance came-" At that point, Nick stopped speaking, overcome with emotion, and tried to compose himself. Cat said she understood the emotion after watching the episode, and Nick attempted to keep the interview moving, saying, "Ask a question."
Changing narrative in the construction trade
The presenters then laughed as Ben highlighted that something has shifted for Nick over the past two series, with viewers now seeing how moved and affected he is by these stories. He said: "That nature, the idea that the building construction trade is made up of all these macho men that can't share their feelings, and actually, we understand that's not the case, and being able to do that has become a much more important narrative."
Nick replied: "It's a terrible thing in the construction trade that you're four times more likely to commit suicide if you're in the construction trade than the average person in the street." He added that builders on the team have lost friends over the last year or two, describing it as "absolutely brutal," and attributed much of it to men feeling they need to "get on, no matter what the pressures are, and just get on with it."
A lonely life and a personal admission
Nick highlighted that it can be a lonely life for builders, who may only speak to a customer that day. He then made a heartbreaking admission about what he would do once he finished work.
He added: "I used to go away from jobs, they're so emotionally charged and so knackering. I'd pull up in a motorway service station and go to the far side and have a little cry in the car on my own. I mentioned this to the guys on the job, and they said, 'We do the same'. None of us knew that we did."
DIY SOS continues Tuesdays on BBC One from 8pm.
