Nick Knowles shared an update on the health of his wife while speaking to Lorraine earlier this week. The TV star appeared on the talk show to speak about the new series of BBC’s DIY SOS but he was asked by the Scottish presenter about his wife.
In July, Katie had opened up about having a hysterectomy at 35, in what had been a life-changing couple of weeks for her. Sharing her experience of the surgery, Katie reflected on the lifelong pain she felt from the age of just eleven as she said: “I was eleven when I started my periods so it’s been long term pain.”
Katie said she was often left “throwing up, not getting out of bed and crawling around the house.” Having been misdiagnosed for a number of years, Katie explained: “I first went to the doctors when I was twelve, it was my family doctor and he said it was period pains.
“I kept going back and they said this is normal or they put you on a pill or some kind of other contraceptive, anything other than giving you tests and when you have tests it takes ages with the waiting lists. It’s been a long process.”
Sharing her reasons for having chosen to have a hysterectomy, Katie added: “I’m really lucky and grateful that I have my babies and I think that was a big thing. I knew I didn’t want more kids so it was a more positive thing knowing I’ve done that and Nick definitely didn’t want any more kids so that was fine.”
Katie told Frankie: “We just prepared for it, me, my family and Nick by talking about the pain relief afterwards.” She said the surgery was “tough” and didn’t think it would be “quite as painful” as it was.
On Monday, October 6, Lorraine asked husband Nick: “she has had a really, really tough time, hasn’t she?” There were further complications after the surgery, leading to a return to the hospital for Katie.
Nick told Lorraine: “she has had a massive operation, not long after being married and full hysterectomy, which she’s been very public about trying to help people along the way and we’ve got hundreds of thousands of people sort of paying attention to her journey through that.
“And then she had a setback last week and she had to go in for a second really tough operation.” Lorraine interrupted “there she is , she is here [in the studio] this morning. I cannot believe this woman is here, she is unbelievable.”
Smiling at his wife, Nick continued: “we were in hospital again this Saturday actually. So literally a few days ago, but a combination of being restless and not doing as she’s told and staying.
“She is supposed to be sitting in bed or sitting not doing much, but getting bored so to ease the boredom, but also because she just won’t sit still because she works so hard.”
The couple began dating in 2021 after they met when their children became friends at a play centre and got engaged in 2023. They tied the knot on June 7 of this year, just weeks before the first operation. They enjoyed a luxurious wedding at Braxted Park, Essex.
On October 4, Nick, 63, posted a picture of himself next to his wife, both sitting in a hospital bed, to Instagram. He wrote: “Poor Katie back in hospital again. More complications after her lifesaving surgery last week – but still smiling through all the pain and medical procedures. (When she’s not crying with the pain).
“I can’t tell you how much my wonderful wife has gone thru over the past few months – and I don’t mean just living with me – the medical procedures and painful recovery, the set backs and starting from square one again – and she does all this with enormous resilience and determination and the occasional cry.”