Nick Knowles reportedly tried to buy this year’s I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here! set a while ago, for a measly £5.
TV star and DIY king Nick, 58, was keen to save the 200-year old Welsh castle, which was crumbling before ITV transformed it for the show, which will kick off next month.
Nick, who was also on I’m A Celeb in 2018, put forward the minuscule offer for the Abergele castle as he was keen to transform and breathe some life back into it.
However, the DIY SOS presenter had to bow out after he found out the building would’ve required at least £1.5 million to renovate it.
Nick is a DIY expert and wanted to do up the old castle
An insider told The Sun Online: “Nick wanted to use the ethos of the BBC1 show to help bring jobs to the area and put some money into the local economy.
“But the scale of the repairs needed, and the complications of Gwrych Castle being a Grade 1 listed building, simply made it impossible.
“The price he offered to pay may seem ridiculously small, but it was a token offer reflecting the cash he was considering putting into rescuing a landmark in that corner of Wales. In the end, the figures just didn’t add up.”
Daily Star Online has contacted a representative of Nick for comment.
The 200 year old castle is in Abergele, North Wales
In the past, Nick rounded up a huge group of investors who wanted to save Gwyrch Castle into a hotel and spa.
As well as his TV work, Nick also has many businesses, including hospitality, as back in 2017 he set up a luxurious yoga retreat in the Maldives.
Gwyrch Castle has been looked after by a preservation trust for the past two years, which consists of a number of local volunteers who donate their own time and money.
However, earlier this year it was announced that ITV had chosen the site as the set for the 2020 I’m A Celebrity after a series in Australia was deemed impossible due to COVID-19 restrictions.
Nick starred in the 2018 series of the show
They have since put a significant amount of funds into restoring the castle’s collapsing walls and roofs, throwing the grade 1 listed building a lifeline that it so desperately needed.
Nick’s castle venture was the latest in a series of failed rescue bids proposed by businesses since it closed to the public 33 years ago and fell into serious disrepair.
Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk
