DIY SOS: The Big Build: is presenter Nick Knowles in the new series, when is it on BBC - and cast with ‘Billy’

One of the longest-running DIY shows is set to return to the BBC for its 32nd series.

DIY SOS: The Big Build will see Nick Knowles host the show once again after missing out on presenting the 2021 Children in Need special due to appearing in a Shreddies advert, in a deal which threatened to violate the BBC’s advertising guidelines.

So, what exactly is DIY SOS: The Big Build, when can you watch it, and who is the host?

Here’s what you need to know.

What is DIY SOS: The Big Build?

DIY SOS: The Big Build is a popular BBC One series, fronted by Nick Knowles, which shows a team of tradespeople help to transform homes for families across the UK.

The projects featured are large, but the people who live in the houses are deserving, and so Knowles also recruits friends, family and neighbours to help get the job done.

DIY SOS was broadcast from 1999 to 2010 before its current format of DIY SOS: The Big Build began in 2010.

In total, 240 episodes of DIY SOS and DIY SOS: The Big Build have been broadcast over 31 series.

When is DIY SOS: The Big Build on TV?

The 32nd series of DIY SOS: The Big Build begins on Tuesday 10 May at 8pm on BBC One.

The episode will be available shortly after broadcast on BBC iPlayer and will also be repeated on BBC Two on Saturday 14 May at 9.30am.

The second episode of the series will air on Tuesday 17 May at 8pm. This episode will also be available shortly after broadcast on BBC iPlayer.

It is not known yet if this episode will follow the same format and be repeated the following Saturday morning on BBC Two at 9.30am, but we expect it will be.

What happens in the first episode of DIY SOS: The Big Build?

In the first episode, Nick meets widow Lindsey McAuley and her four children, who live in Kettering.

In the summer of 2021, Lindsey and her late husband Shaun began to extend their house.

They enlisted the help of a local builder to put in the foundations, walls and roof, and to get the extension up to first fix. The plan was for Shaun to finish the build himself, but he fell ill with cancer just months after the build began.

Shaun had an operation on his kidneys and bowel, but his cancer was aggressive and he died in November 2021.

Lindsey and her family are still grieving, and their home remains unfinished and is currently uninhabitable.

That’s where the DIY SOS team takes over.

Viewers will see designer Gabrielle Blackman, along with hundreds of local tradespeople, volunteers and some of Shaun’s old army buddies, step in to finish the job so Lindsey and her children can have their house back.

What happens in the second episode of DIY SOS: The Big Build?

In the second episode, Nick meets the Hutchinson family from Corby.

Teenager Jordan has cerebral palsy and epilepsy, but he still lives as independent a life as possible and raises money for charity.

He currently lives with his parents, Jackie and Colin, and his siblings at his grandmother’s house.

He sleeps on an air bed, while the parents share rooms with the younger children.

They can no longer live at their own home as a series of building issues meant that they ran out of money and have no way of finishing the work themselves.

Hundreds of tradespeople and volunteers from Corby and across the UK join the DIY SOS team and designer Gabrielle Omar to create a house that will finally be a home for them all.

Who is in the cast?

Different families are the focus of each episode of the programme, and there are also different teams of local tradespeople who help.

There are, however, some regular cast members including host Nick Knowles, designer Gabrielle Omar and other members of the DIY SOS team including Mark Millar, Billy Byrne, Chris Frediani and Julian Perryman.

Who is Nick Knowles?

Nick Knowles is a television presenter, writer and singer.

He is best known for his presenting roles on the BBC, including game shows Who Dares Wins (2007–2019) and 5-Star Family Reunion (2015–2016).

He has been presenting DIY series DIY SOS on BBC One since 1999.

Most recently, he has presented Nick Knowles’ Big House Clearout on Channel 5.

He released his first and last music album, Every Kind Of People, on 3 November 2017.