BBC Strictly Come Dancing Nick Knowles reveals how he lost 10kg in six weeks
Strictly Come Dancing has made a comeback, amidst the echoes of controversy from the past summer involving former pros Giovanni Pernice and Graziano Di Prima, who exited the show after issues with their 2023 partners. This time around, the show is abuzz with mental health support, including psychologists and counsellors to aid the celebs.
It's not only the psychological aspect being given due diligence; physical fitness is equally prioritised. DIY expert Nick Knowles, paired with Luba Mushtuk, has confirmed the producers are on top of his physical needs.
Speaking to the Daily Mail's Weekend Magazine, the 61 year old savvy presenter said: "Bits of me are knackered but they've already made sure I've got physio support." Further addressing his mental health readiness for the show, he added: "I've spoken to psychologists about my state of wellbeing. I know who I can talk to if I have issues. So, yeah, all I can say is that everything appears to be in place."
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Knowles isn't taking his Strictly challenge lightly, having already dropped close to two stone, courtesy of a strict diet and exercise plan, reports the Express. "I realised I needed to work harder in the gym," he revealed post the inaugural training session of 2024.
Elaborating on his intense preparation, he said, "So that's what I've done over the last six weeks, as well as losing 10 kilos by controlling my diet and eating one meal a day." He provides insight into his dietary adjustments too, succinctly summarising them as, "Keeping off carbs. Protein, green vegetables and an enormous amount of gym work."
The well-travelled presenter once joked that he'd only consider a liquid diet "once you can juice pork pies and scotch eggs", but in 2017, he spent a month at a wellness retreat in Thailand.
He claims to have lost nine kilos thanks to the experience, after which he took up yoga and adopted what he referred to as a ''vegan flexitarian" diet. Nick hasn't had much opportunity for formal dance training yet, except for learning a few Tango steps while filming a travel series earlier this year: "It's a beautiful dance but it's also very manly. If I'm nervous of anything, it's the bouncy things, the Charleston and stuff."
He might have learned a step or two from his ex-wife Jessica Rose Moor, a professional dancer, although they separated in 2017. Nick's three sisters are also dancers, so he's likely to receive plenty of advice over the next few weekends.