Why Nick Knowles will be heading north
Storm over telly star’s no-show at birth but . . .
DIY SOS frontman Nick Knowles sparked a media frenzy last week after it emerged he wouldn’t be at the birth of his son.
But the 51-year-old housewives’ heartthrob has revealed exclusively to The Sunday Post that he plans to make his baby boy’s first Christmas a proper family affair — by spending it together in his beloved Scotland.
The TV presenter already has three grown-up kids, but is expecting his first child with wife Jessica Rose, 26, in August.
Jessica provoked a national outcry earlier in the week when she revealed she didn’t want hubby Nick to see her in such a “vulnerable state”.
She added: “We love each other very much and have a very intimate relationship, but yes, like many women, part of me worries that he won’t fancy me any more if he sees me giving birth.
“Giving birth is a very physical process. I prefer a bit of smoke and mirrors.”
Nick is happy to respect his wife’s wishes, explaining: “If Jess wanted me there, then of course I would be there, but I certainly don’t feel offended she doesn’t. I’ll be right outside, so I’ll still be one of the first to hold our son.”
He’s also keen to look beyond the birth and make plans for his family’s first Christmas — and that involves a trip up north.
He says: “I fell in love with Scotland when I was a youngster at an Army cadet camp at Cultybraggan in Perthshire’s Comrie.”
Jessica shares his passion, after travelling to the Highlands in the run-up to their wedding in 2012.
Nick hopes of one day of buying a home by the sea in the Highlands for his new family, but for now he is settling for a holiday.
“We’re looking for a hideaway this Christmas in Scotland — somewhere with a fire and beautiful views, maybe the Highlands or theWest Coast.
“We want somewhere special to spend our first Christmas with our new baby boy.”
Nick is the proud owner of a kilt in Ancient Buchanan tartan and has strong views on independence.
“I would be very sad to see us split up. No one feels any less Scottish for being part of Great Britain. Of course, if I had been born a Scot, I’d probably be one of the first to say ‘kick the English out!” he laughs.
Nick also revealed he’s working on his first feature film — a celebration of old age.
The star, who took four years to write his film, says: “It’s a heartfelt comedy about a group of elderly friends who decide to take radical action to make their lives more interesting.
“We took it to Cannes but everyone said no one was interested in a film about old people. Then films like The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel and Last Vegas came out, so now we are going for backing.”
Despite never having written a feature film before, with his friend and talented director John Miller on board, Nick is confident it will be released next spring.
Nick’s primetime BBC1 Lottery show Who Dares Wins has been on the go for seven years now, he presents daytime TV programme Perfection and is about to begin writing his first novel.
And with the latest series of hit BBC reality home makeover show DIY SOS starting in the spring, it really does seem that, for Nick, all things are possible.
“I get that from my late dad, Eddie,” he says. “He always told me I could do or be anything I want as long as I worked hard and did the research.”
And these are values which Nick, a working class lad who grew up on a London council estate, will undoubtedly instil in his new son.
Nick never dreamed he was destined for a career in TV and admits to being painfully shy as a child while his brother, a musician, and two sisters, both dancers, loved to perform.
The self-confessed rebel left school at 16 but couldn’t find a career he loved.
He says: “I was never out of work, but I never found anything I was attracted to.”
It was while he was living in Tonbridge Wells that an old school pal told him the BBC were looking for a youngster to write a script on life in the community.
He did and ended up presenting the piece. It was a move that was to change his life forever.
Nick recalls: “That was in 1984, which means this is my 30th year in TV.
“It’s hard to believe.”
He lives by one golden rule: “You should always say yes to opportunity. You never know what you can do until you try and in TV, if you refuse, you don’t get asked again.”
DIY SOS — now in its 15th year — is living proof of that. Even Nick was amazed when the debut show netted eight million viewers. The Beeb told him to carry on and he loves it as much today as he did then.
“The DIY SOS team are like family to me. We have been through a lot together,” says Nick, who stays in touch with and continues to support a number of the families he has helped.
At 51 the former rugby player has never been busier, but he believes this time round fatherhood may not be so tough. “It’s easier to have children when you are financially secure,” he says. “In the early days, when I was trying to make my way in TV I spent a lot of time away from my kids.
“It’s difficult to weigh up how much to work to improve their standard of living versus missing time with them when they are growing-up.
“Hopefully, I got the balance right, but all you can do is your best at the time.”