TV star Nick Knowles has joked that he will perform dance lifts with one arm during the next Strictly Come Dancing show as he remains “hopeful” he can continue in the competition – despite injuring his arm.
The DIY SOS presenter appeared on BBC spin-off show Strictly Come Dancing: It Takes Two wearing a sling, as he explained how he suffered the “painful” injury on the way to a family party on Sunday to celebrate his birthday.
“I went to get my 10-year-old son and bring him back to the party but we broke down on the motorway with a flat tyre, and it was raining and there were big lorries going past, so I tried to do it quickly and change the tyre quickly,” he said.
“As I took the tyre off, I basically damaged my bicep and damaged my arm.”
Knowles thanked the two “lovely” policemen from Taplow who helped him get the tyre back on during the incident.
It came after the 62-year-old jived to We Built This City by Starship with professional dancer Luba Mushtuk on the first live episode of the BBC dancing show’s 20th anniversary series.
Knowles announced the injury on Instagram on Monday, as he made his way to London’s Harley Street “to get a scan done and to get some top medical advice”.
It Takes Two co-host Janette Manrara said “at this stage we don’t really know if you’re going to be able to dance on Saturday”, to which Knowles said he is “hopeful”.
🪩 #Strictly It Takes Two is back on your screens from Monday 23 September with dynamic duo Janette Manrara and Fleur East.
They’ll be bringing audiences all the behind-the scenes glamour and gossip from Strictly's 20th anniversary series.
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He added: “I’ll find out more tomorrow but I’m fully expecting to go into training, and I’m really hopeful that I’ll be dancing on Saturday.”
Knowles is expected to perform an American smooth – which can incorporate lifts – to Blur’s Parklife during the next show.
On approaching training with the injury, professional dancer Mushtuk said: “We still have a perfect position on our right arm.
“We are going to do perfect footwork in the foxtrot. We might even do the lift on that arm… I will just work around it. I will make it work.”
She also joked that she will “sparkle” the sling.
Knowles added: “Luckily I’m very big, and Luba is very light, one-arm lifts.”
Judge Anton Du Beke described his dancing on Saturday night as “uplifting” and added he felt “elated” after watching the performance, which scored 18 points.
Knowles was then given a cake by professional dancer Carlos Gu.
The next episode of Strictly Come Dancing will be broadcast at 6.15pm on BBC One on Saturday.
