BBC Strictly's hosts break silence on star's exit from show

Nick Knowles was forced to exit Strictly Come Dancing after suffering a second injury

Strictly Come Dancing hosts Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman have discussed Nick Knowles' abrupt departure from the programme. The popular TV personality, aged 62, had to withdraw from tonight's live show (October 5) after incurring another injury.

Scheduled to dance the Charleston with professional partner Luba Mushtuk to "Rain On The Roof" from Paddington 2 for Movie Week, Nick was already dealing with a shoulder issue that resulted in him wearing a sling, having occurred shortly after the season’s opening live show. However, on Friday (October 4), it emerged that the DIY SOS presenter had taken a tumble and hurt his knee during a dress run, leaving him reliant on crutches.

During Saturday night's broadcast (October 5), Tess and Claudia quickly addressed Nick's inability to perform. Tess shared: "As you can see, Nick Knowles and his partner Luba are not here. In rehearsals yesterday, Nick sustained an injury and is not able to perform tonight."

Claudia then added: "As per rules of the competition, he will receive a bye into next week's show. Nick we are sending you love and wishing you a speedy recovery."

In an exclusive video message sent to Strictly's spin-off show It Takes Two, presented by Janette Manrara, on Friday (October 4) before the live show, Nick reflected on his situation. Facing the camera, Nick commented: "So during our first dress rehearsal today, our run-through of the dance number on the stage, unfortunately, I damaged my knee and it's quite painful.", reports the Mirror.

Luba revealed that Nick would be undergoing an MRI scan due to his injury, saying: "So the physios have decided that I need to go for an MRI."

She continued: "Yeah, so unfortunately we'll not be dancing tomorrow but we really really hope that the knee will be better for the next week and yeah, we'll be back on the dance floor."

A source close to the show also shared that Nick's second injury has been a significant setback, stating: "It is such a devastating blow for him and he is being supported by the Strictly team. They are sending him for scans and are doing everything they can to make sure he is okay."

Nick had previously spoken about his first injury on Instagram, explaining that he hurt his arm and shoulder while changing a tyre on the side of the motorway, saying: "As you can see my arm is in a sling and that's because my car broke down at the side of the motorway. I had my little boy in the car, so I wanted to change the tyre as quickly as possible."

He added: "In the process of hurrying to get the wheel off, I managed to damage my shoulder and arm a little. I'm not sure how, but it's been quite painful."