Nick Knowles has issued an injury update on his knee (Image: Getty)
has revealed that the injury he incurred during his stint might not heal until next autumn.
Talking to Express.co.uk ahead of Cirque du Soleil’s new show, he exclaimed: “It’s really weird because I did 40 years of rugby and got away with it without major injury and then [Strictly happened]. The DIY SOS star warned he faces a long recovery process and that it’s likely to be a further eight months until he is “fully 100% again”. When he does return, he won’t be attempting any further dance stints.
“No, I’ll go back to less dangerous things like climbing mountains and riding motorbikes and and playing polo!” he joked. After the operation to fix his knee, he was left “learning how to walk again” – but he’s thankful he risked going under the knife as it’ll get him back to the daredevil activities he craves doing the most.
“I’ve done all kinds of weird things, like riding motorbikes in the desert and riding polo ponies… that’s really why I had the operations, even at my age,” he explained, after investing thousands of pounds of his own money in the procedures. “I wanted to get back to the point where I could carry on doing all the adventurous stuff that I’ve done before. I couldn’t get back to that [without surgery].”
Although he’s obsessed with adrenalin-pumping sports, he’s adamant that he’ll be a spectator only when it comes to acrobatic shows like Cirque du Soleil. The new show, Corteo, is a whirlwind of trampolining, trapezing and backflipping as a clown reimagines his funeral as a riotous carnival.
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Nick Knowles and partner Kate Dadzie at Cirque du Soleil’s Corteo premiere (Image: Getty)
It makes the afterlife seem like an effortless party, with one performer flying through the Albert Hall and almost touching the ceiling while clutching a trio of giant helium balloons and others swinging from huge chandeliers.
The audience will also see winged angels and cyclists hover in mid air as they transport the deceased to the post-life carnival – and Nick was looking forward to seeing the action, admitting he’s such a Cirque fan that he tries to see every show he can that the company produces.
Despite praising the “spectacular” acrobatics, Nick will stay a spectator from now on when it comes to dance shows.
That said, the TV star – whose pro partner Luba Mushtuk was also watching Cirque on Wednesday – doesn’t regret his Strictly experience and “thoroughly enjoyed” being part of it.
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Nick Knowles discussed his injury ahead of the Cirque du Soleil show (Image: Getty)
He added that his injury on the show isn’t the worst he’s ever had.
“The worst one was probably like in 2007 when I fell off a truck in Africa and that was I had to have like a rebuilt shoulder and hip,” he exclaimed.
“If you do stupid things, if you do super active things when you’re 62 years old, there’s always a chance you’re gonna give yourself an injury, so that’s all good!
“I thoroughly enjoyed the experience and I’ll put in the effort. As you know, old rugby players tend to work really hard in training, so I’ll put the effort in and get back to doing ridiculous things again soon!”