Nick Knowles breaks silence after being forced to quit BBC Strictly Come Dancing

Nick Knowles has been forced to pull out of this weekend's Strictly Come Dancing due to an injury. The TV star has now broken his silence on the news

Nick Knowles has spoken out after it was announced that he will be unable to participate in this weekend's Strictly Come Dancing. The 62 year old DIY SOS star, who has been a hit with fans during the 2024 season of the BBC's long-standing dance competition, suffered an injury at the start of the series.

Nick, known for his hands-on approach to work, hurt his shoulder while changing a car tyre following the opening episodes of the current 22nd season of Strictly. There were concerns that he might not be able to perform last weekend, but medical staff gave him the green light just hours before the second live show of the year.

However, it appears that the demands of training have taken their toll on the TV personality - and he will now not be competing in this weekend's live show. Fans may be particularly disappointed as it is Movie Week on the BBC programme - and Nick and his dance partner, Luba Mushtuk, 34, were set to perform the Charleston to Rain on the Roof; the famous song from Stephen Sondheim's Follies which featured in the Paddington 2 soundtrack.

Now, audiences can only speculate about what such a performance might have looked like. After his absence was confirmed, Nick posted on X: "I'm absolutely gutted and feeling very very sad," accompanied by a sad face emoji.

Earlier, he had used both X and Instagram to relay a message from Strictly confirming his absence for the upcoming weekend. The announcement read: "Unfortunately, Nick Knowles sustained an injury during rehearsals and as a result, will not dance this weekend. As per the rules of the competition, Nick and Luba will receive a bye through to next week when he is hopefully able to dance again. Everyone at Strictly Come Dancing wishes Nick a speedy recovery.", reports the Mirror.

Fans immediately expressed their well-wishes on X, with comments such as: "Hope you're on the mend soon. What a shame you're missing out on movie week."

and "So sorry to hear that! I hope you are ok! #Strictly."

Another supporter added: "Take Care Lovely, See you back next week."

Just before the announcement, Nick had been optimistic about his chances in the competition, engaging with fans on X where one encouraged him, saying: "Let's hope you get through over the weekend fingers crossed."

Nick responded with a hopeful series of fingers crossed emojis.