DIY SOS ‘Nick Knowles tears and runs away from BBC cameras in ‘miracle’ scene

Nick Knowles hosted an emotional episode of Big House Clear Out and burst into tears as the team rebuilt an adventurous playground in Bristol

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DIY SOS: Nick Knowles was moved to tears

DIY SOS turned emotional on Tuesday night as the team began work to transform an adventure playground with the post-traumatic story of the BBC hit series.

TV presenter Nick Knowles showcased the project at the location in Southmead, Bristol, which had fallen into disrepair and was completely unfit for purpose.

Known locally as The Ranch, Bristol’s oldest adventure playground was built by the community and has been enjoyed and used well by generations of local residents.

However, it was burned down by vandals, leaving locals in tears and forced to rebuild on two separate occasions – leaving hundreds of young people in need of a safe place to have fun.

However, everything changed when host Nick Knowles and the DIY SOS team arrived in Bristol with an army of volunteers.

The Ranch got lucky when they were cast in the show as a replacement for a previously planned story.

One of the players, Lil, described it as a “miracle” and the team quickly sought out donations of labor and materials, while the Trust was able to pledge funding to pay for the rest.

DIY SOS saw Nick and the team descend on the spot, working around the clock to restore the communal space to its former glory.

It was a big project that required the team and volunteers to work for 9 grueling days and nights last October.

They cleared the bush, restored marsh ponds and renovated the landscape, adding an outdoor classroom complete with a fire pit to their Forest School.

A variety of new structures have been added to provide thrills – from giant swings to terrifying ‘death’ slides.

The once damaged sports field has been leveled and resurfaced, and an all-weather multi-game field and outdoor recreation areas have been added.

When the 59-year-old newly debuted presenter revealed a special part of the revamp, he was so moved and forced to leave the scene in tears.

Outside the playground, he showed them a special recording studio for older children.

Fighting back tears, he said: “This is beyond anything we could have dreamed of.”

Lil added: “I’m shocked, this is… The teenagers will be so excited, this is phenomenal.”

Another guest looked shocked when she asked Nick: “Do we have guitars and all the equipment?”

Unable to respond, the presenter simply nodded, only for her to repeat the question in disbelief.

She added: “Oh my God, this is what youth means…” as Nick turned his face away before walking out of the room.

“Nick, he’s crying,” one local pointed out. She continued: “We can’t thank you enough.”

“I can’t even get over this,” he replies, wiping his eyes and turning away from the camera.

Another commented: “Oh Nick, you know what music is for kids.” as a sob Lil added with gratitude: “This is amazing.”