When a freak household accident claimed the life of single mum-of-five Zoë Scott, her children’s world collapsed overnight. But thanks to Nick Knowles and the DIY SOS team, the Scott siblings have been given not just a new home — but a new beginning.
Zoë had been on the phone with her eldest daughter, Somer, 30, when she suddenly tripped and fell down the stairs at their home in Eltham, south London. The accident broke her neck, killing her instantly. Left without parents, Somer and her brother Samuel, 23, vowed to keep their family together and raise their younger siblings — Shay, 19, Sadie, 11, and Seth, 7, who is blind, autistic, and living with chronic kidney disease.
Despite their courage, the three-bedroom mid-terrace house was far too small for five people. Somer confessed that she was haunted by the sight of the staircase where her mother had died. That’s when Nick and his BBC team stepped in to give the family a complete home transformation.
Inside the emotional episode titled Scott Siblings’ New Chapter, Nick visited the house and was visibly moved by their situation — Samuel sleeping in a freezing loft accessible only by ladder, Shay living in a cupboard, and the younger two sharing a cramped room. As Somer trains to become a doctor in Liverpool during the week, Samuel has devoted himself full-time to caring for his siblings.
The renovation included a single-storey rear extension, new bedrooms for each child, and a garden studio flat for Somer — installed dramatically over the house using a 4-tonne crane. When construction issues forced the team to dig the pod deeper into the ground, Nick broke down in tears, admitting, “Here we are trying to do this magnificent thing, and the world is conspiring…” before being comforted by plasterer Chris Frediani, who told him, “It’s alright, mate. We’ll get through it, we always do.”
One of the most meaningful changes came from designer Gabby Blackman, who moved the staircase out of the lounge and rebuilt it behind a new hallway to help ease the family’s trauma. “This was the scene of the most awful tragedy,” she said. Nick agreed: “That’s a terrible memory we’ve been able to get out of the house. Hopefully, that will stop the constant triggering of bad memories every day.”
The episode also featured a touching surprise visit from rugby star Joe Marler, who joined Samuel for a local training session. Joe was deeply moved by Samuel’s strength, telling him: “I don’t think I’ve ever met someone as inspiring and as strong as you.”
When the final reveal came, the siblings were overcome with emotion. The renovated home was filled with tributes to their late mother — a painting of a daffodil she once made, a quilt crafted from her clothes, and six fruit trees planted in the garden: one for each child and one for Zoë. Samuel’s new room even featured a map of South America — a reminder of the dream he once put on hold.
Fighting back tears, Somer told the volunteers: “I was so worried that the essence of Mum would be lost from the house. But everything she embodied now runs through the core of it. The last thing I said to her was that I’d look after the kids — and you’ve helped me keep that promise.”
