Strictly Come Dancing star Katya Jones and presenter Nick Knowles were moved to tears by a visitor on a special edition of DIY SOS’s poignant homage to her late father.
Tonight, the worlds of two BBC shows meet when DIY SOS teams up with Strictly Come Dancing for an exciting construction that will provide a new chapter for a performing arts school in Wallsend, North Tyneside.
Professional dancers such as Katya, Luba Mushtuck, and Graziano Di Prima donned hard hats and sparkly hi-vis jackets to help with the project, which will see them transform the space used by True Colours, a charity that welcomes children and young adults of all abilities to embrace their passion for dance.
During the show, Katya meets Charis, a passionate dancer with Down syndrome.
It’s stated that the 20-year-old’s father, Bruce, died only a few weeks before, and True Colours is providing her with a support system while she grieves.
‘I’m dedicating my solo to my wonderful dad,’ Charis tells Katya, describing him as ‘handsome’ and charismatic’.
Later, at a True Colours dancer showcase, Charis is given the opportunity to perform her modern dance routine in memory of her father.
Charis danced to Ben E King’s Stand By Me as a video of her with her father played on a giant screen behind her.
‘I love and miss you forever Dad. Love Charis x,’ a message read on the projector, after Charis was joined on stage by fellow dancers.
During the performance, Katya, 34, could be seen wiping away tears, while Nick, 60, appeared to be in tears as well.
‘Not a dry eye in the house,’ Nick said, before Katya shared her reaction to the performance.
‘To see on stage her looking beautiful in the dress and totally telling the story, I was just so proud,’ she said.
‘It was a wonderful demonstration of why they deserve this so much. It’s going to change their lives 100%.’
True Colours’ creative environment was transformed by the DIY SOS team in only six days, as the crew went about refurbishing a sports hall that hadn’t been used in a decade and needed to be made available to the charity’s 200 members.
They also constructed relaxing areas for children and their families, as well as a sensory room and a lovely outdoor area with aromatic plants and sparkling walks.
To cap it all off, a massive disco ball was brought in to complete the Strictly-fied image.
Speaking about the special episode, Nick said: ‘The show is, as usual, about the community coming together in the Newcastle area to build a much needed facility for an all-inclusive theatre school.
‘Many of the children, young adults and their parents felt unable to attend more mainstream schools because of their complex needs so could not follow their dreams. This build means the wonderful work the team do in that part of the UK will be available to many more to make their dreams come true.’
The presenter added that the ‘turnout to help was exceptional’, including among older members of the community who remembered using the space as a youth club ‘and felt it should have new life breathed into it’.
‘The students loved having the dancers around and working with them and they were lovely and humble and really engaged with what was going on. Very encouraging and a real treat to work with them for sure,’ he recalled.
DIY SOS Strictly Special airs tonight at 9pm on BBC One and BBC iPlayer.
Source My Celebrity Life.
