Nick Knowles has paid tribute after the death of a young disabled boy who appeared on DIY SOS.
Darren Hudson was in need of support from the BBC programme after a degenerative spinal condition left him unable to walk and he was confined to a wheelchair.
Darren was also concerned that his condition would make it difficult to provide for his adopted Oliver, who is severely disabled, reports the Mirror.
They were both forced to share Oliver’s downstairs bedroom as Darren’s condition made it tough for him to get upstairs.
During the programme, Knowles, 57, called on the local community to help out and make the home more accessible for the pair.
Viewers watched as Nick and the team transformed Darren’s family home, which he shared with his other children, Harvey and step-son Mike.
Darren was left overwhelmed with the support they received for the local community.
(Image: Peter Harbour/Hull Daily Mail)
He said on the programme: “Amazing. What you have done for us guys, it’s our next chapter. It’s the next step forward which is massive for us.
“Words don’t even seem enough. I have been in there and I didn’t even recognise my house. In fact it’s not a house, you have brought the home back for us.
“I can actually get upstairs and it might seem nothing to you guys but to me it’s everything. You have given me the full house back where I just had the downstairs for so long.
“It’s something we needed so bad and it couldn’t have come at a better time. It’s amazing. Thank you so much.”
But Nick had some devastating news after the programme aired yesterday evening and tweeted that Darren’s adopted son Oliver had died.
He wrote: “We @DIYSOS send condolences to Darren & family on the sad passing of wonderful Ollie who is missed & was so loved.”
Viewers were heartbroken at the news, with one responding to Nick: “I’ve never felt more heartbreak for a family than I have just watching that episode then reading that tweet. God bless.”
While another wrote: “That was possibly one of the best if not the best builds I’ve seen.
“So deserved, such a lovely family. Really touching. RIP Ollie.”
DIY SOS is available to watch on BBC iPlayer
