BBC Strictly Come Dancing in 'chaos' as Nick Knowles dealt new blow over show future
Nick Knowles' future on Strictly Come Dancing is hanging in the balance as a decision on his participation in the show will be delayed until Friday.
The fate of battered Nick Knowles on Strictly Come Dancing hangs in the balance as a decision regarding his injury has been pushed back until tomorrow - allowing him extra time to cling onto his spot in the star-studded BBC contest.
While the TV personality and DIY SOS presenter, aged 62, has bravely stepped back into rehearsals today with clearance to attempt his previously mastered Movie Week dance, worries are mounting over the very same routine that landed him in strife - the demanding Charleston.
Knowles and his professional partner Luba Mushtuk remain optimistic, aiming to captivate audiences with their performance to "Rain on the Roof" from 'Paddington 2'. Nevertheless, the energy-intensive twists, turns, and notoriously comical "knock knee" movements featured in the Charleston pose significant risks to already compromised joints, raising concerns of exacerbating what is dubbed "Charleston knee".
According to backstage sources at thr BBC show, there's simply no spare time to devise an alternative number that could go easier on Knowles' injured limb. Rehearsals had been scheduled for today (October 10) and Friday before making the crucial call for Saturday night's show.
The insider revealed: "The plan is to rehearse today and Friday and then a final decision will be made about Saturday evening. He is going to try and do the routine he'd already learned for Movie Week.
"It's unfortunate it's a Charleston because it's very hard to do without lots of knee action, but there is no alternative. Everyone has their fingers crossed for him," reports the Mirror.
Nick was granted a reprieve last week after being advised to rest his injured leg, but Strictly's regulations stipulate that contestants can only skip one week due to illness or injury before they must withdraw. Since resting from last Friday, the television personality received the green light from the show's medical and physio teams to start training again today.
His dance partner, Luba, has vowed to "go gentle" on him and has modified the routine to make it as manageable as possible.
Nick's participation in the BBC programme is now in jeopardy once more, yet he remains resolute in his determination to continue and is "very hopeful" of performing live on Saturday night. He reported that each day brings improvement to his leg, noting "a little bit better".
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During an appearance on It Takes Two earlier in the week, he mentioned that if he could endure two days of practice, "it's not necessarily the end of it".
In a heartfelt message to his Strictly followers on Instagram, he wrote: "I have to see how I get on - and then a decision will be made on Friday. I just wanted to take this moment to say thank you for all the well wishes that I've received and encouragement from everybody. And I'm hopeful that I will be dancing on Saturday."
He sustained the leg injury during the final move of his rehearsal on Friday when he "leapt" to correct his timing after missing the beat. "My one leg stayed still, and the rest of me went through," he recounted, which led to "a bit of a collapse".
The TV presenter sought an MRI scan and has been undergoing daily treatment since the incident.
The star had previously danced with an injured arm after sustaining a shoulder injury while changing a tyre at the roadside. Presently, Nick has expressed his frustration, saying he's "sick and tired" of injuries interfering with his dancing.
