Nick Knowles’ new Channel 5 show will see him become an "everyman’s Bear Grylls".
The 57-year-old presenter is poised to swap DIY for survival training, as he fronts his own show called ‘Castaway’, which is being made by the team behind ‘Joanna Lumley’s Hidden Caribbean: Havana To Haiti’.
A source told The Sun newspaper’s Bizarre TV Column: "Channel 5 love a big name, and with Jane McDonald trudging out of the door after quitting cruising, they’ve turned to Nick, who they think could be like an everyman’s Bear Grylls.
"The show is being made for primetime and would see him live in the middle of nowhere and forced to survive. They’re really excited about it and hope the current crisis won’t stop it, given it’s basically extreme self-isolation."
Nick – who is, perhaps, best known for presenting ‘DIY SOS’ – previously admitted his biggest ambition is to simply make "really good television", rather than presenting make-over shows.
He explained: "I’m not a builder or a designer and have never been involved with DIY. If I wanted to go down the building route, I could have made millions in advertising and had my own line of curtains.
"But I’m a programme maker. For me, it’s about making really good television.
"It doesn’t matter if it’s a quiz show or a history drama, I’m just looking to get seven million viewers on anything I do."
During his TV career, Nick has hosted a variety of shows on the BBC, including the game show ‘Who Dares Wins’, ‘5-Star Family Reunion’ and the daytime series ‘Real Rescues’.
In 2018, he also appeared as a contestant on ITV’s ‘I’m a Celebrity…Get Me Out of Here!’, finishing in sixth place.
Nick Knowles to host new survival show on Channel 5
