Nick Knowles has spoken out emotionally as the last episode of DIY SOS aired, following the BBC's decision to rest the programme in 2027 due to budgeting cuts. The presenter said the show was "always more than just a TV programme."
The home improvement series, first broadcast in 1999, has been on screens for more than two decades. The BBC decided to stop the show to save money, as part of the corporation's aim to save £500 million over three years. Other familiar programmes, including Blankety Blank, Celebrity Mastermind and Live At The Apollo, have also been rested.
Final Episode Focuses on Kidderminster Renovation
The final episode aired on Tuesday evening and focused on a huge renovation project on a family home in Kidderminster, Worcestershire. Knowles, 64, wrote on Instagram that he is incredibly proud of what the show has achieved over the years.
He said: "Well, it's been 27 years of my life. It's been like a family - or a band on tour - somewhere in between maybe."
"I've asked and been told - if it comes back it won't be whole houses, it won't be huge buildings for charities - so it's the end of an era. Proud of all who worked their socks off. Proud of what it's done for families and charities. Proud of the hope it gave people."
Over 43,000 Sign Petition to Save the Show
More than 43,000 people have signed an online petition campaigning for the show to stay on screens. The series has been described as "more than a TV show" and helped change thousands of people's lives over more than two decades.
Sam Jones, a 38-year-old plasterer from Walton, worked on the 2025 Children In Need special episode at The Joshua Tree cancer charity in Cheshire, as well as a project in Llanberis in North Wales. He told the ECHO: "I was shocked, heartbroken and disgusted. Twenty seven years it's been on the BBC and it doesn't make sense to me why anybody would stop a programme like this."
He added: "We get to meet the families at the end and that's the joy. That's your payment, just seeing what you've done for them. We don't get rid of the diagnosis, but when we leave they're left with somewhere they can call home and a bit of hope. When you get to see the families who you've done it for and their faces light up, that's really what it's about."
BBC Confirms Spin-Off Show
A BBC spokesperson said: "In light of the BBC's savings challenges we have taken the decision to rest DIY SOS in 2027 and commission a new spin-off show instead from producers South Shore."
"DIY SOS Rebuilt My Life (w/t) will revisit successes from the show's past and expand the brand on the BBC in a more cost-effective way next year." The final episode marked the end of the series as it has been known, with a new format planned for the future.
