Saturday Magazine - 31.08.2019

* A guesstimate based on average viewing figures (about five million per episode)

The F ab F ive

I

t has been two decades – and

lots of laughs and tears – of the

show where a home renovation

means that a desperate family

can live better. It’s the property

show that isn’t about profit but

goodness, from the volunteers who

flock to the site to help the

dedicated Purple Shirts (above), to

the lives changed for the better.

Here’s to another 20 years!

Twenty years of

life-changing DIY

SOS missions

In numbers...

PRINCES’ SEAL OF

APPROVAL William helped

paint a community centre

near Grenfell Tower, and he

and Harry visited homes built

for veterans in Manchester.

DIY SOS COMMUNITY Nick says

he keeps in touch with around 70 per

cent of people from the builds, and

Billy hosts an annual North v South

golf tournament for contributors.

STARS The Purple Shirts are presenter Nick

Knowles, and trades team Chris Frediani, Billy

Byrne, Mark Millar and Jules Perryman. ‘We’ll carry

on for as long as BBC still wants us – and Billy

stays alive!’ jokes Mark.

DAYS Time it takes to complete a

build that would normally take months

thanks to Nick’s army of workers.

20

1

2

5

9

‘In 1989 I was a

news journalist and

got a promotion

for my coverage of

an IRA bombing at

barracks in Deal. But I

wanted to resign, and

told my boss, “I don’t

want to do TV on the back

of someone else suffering”. He said,

“Why not do positive television?”. This

led me eventually to DIY SOS: The

Big Build – and this definitely

shows that good news sells,

and it presents the best

in people.’

Purple reign

...Nick with

Chris, Billy,

Mark and

Jules

HRH SOS...

Wills and

Harry

DIY SOS:

CELEBRATING

20 YEARS Thur 8pm BBC One

NEW

MILLION

TEARS*

We’re often

moved by

the efforts

of all those

who give up their time for free, and

the stories of the families they help

to live again, rather than just cope.

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NICK REVEALS THE PERSONAL

CRISIS THAT LED HIM TO DIY SOS

Billy rides

the wave

of emotion

Words by: Jennifer Rodger

TV FEATURE

SATURDAY MAGAZINE 13