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Alan Titchmarsh

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Alan Fred Titchmarsh (born 2 May 1949) is an English gardener, broadcaster and writer. After working as a professional gardener and a horticultural journalist, he became a radio and television presenter and a novelist.

Early careerEdit

Alan Fred Titchmarsh<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> was born on 2 May 1949 in Ilkley, West Riding of Yorkshire, England.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite book</ref> He is the son of Bessie (née Hardisty), a textile mill worker, and Alan Titchmarsh senior, a plumber.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> In 1964, after leaving school at 15, with one O-level in Art, Titchmarsh went to work as an apprentice gardener with Ilkley Council attending day release classes at Shipley Art and Technology Institute in Shipley in the West Riding of Yorkshire studying for a City and Guilds qualification in horticulture.

In 1968, Titchmarsh went on to study at Hertfordshire College of Agriculture and Horticulture for the National Certificate in Horticulture, before finally moving to the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew in 1969 to study for a Diploma in Horticulture.<ref name="BBCDID">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref name="BBCGW">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> After graduating he stayed on at Kew for two years, employed as gardens supervisor in charge of staff training. He left to pursue a career in gardening journalism in 1974. Interested in English literature and writing, he applied for a post with the Hamlyn publishing Group, as assistant editor of gardening books. He then started to write his own gardening books, with the first, Starting With Houseplants being published in 1976.<ref name="BBCDID"/>

Television and radioEdit

In 1977, Titchmarsh began his career in broadcasting as a gardening expert on BBC Radio 4 You and Yours and The Today Programme. In 1988, he hosted the gardening show A House in a Garden with Gloria Hunniford on BBC Radio 2.Template:Cn Titchmarsh's first television appearances were on the BBC television shows Nationwide and Breakfast Time as a horticulture expert. This led to his presenting of the Chelsea Flower Show for BBC television in 1983. Titchmarsh hosted this every year until 2013.<ref name="BBCGW" />

File:Alan Titchmarsh and his Britain in Bloom Garden.jpg
Titchmarsh at the Chelsea Flower Show 2014

In 1986, Titchmarsh hosted the BBC's Open Air and from 1987 the talk shows Daytime Live and Pebble Mill at One, which he hosted until 1996. In 1991 he presented a six-part series Titchmarsh's Travels, in which he followed in the footsteps of the pilgrims, travelling around Britain and Ireland.<ref name="BFI">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

In 1996, Titchmarsh took over as host of Gardeners' World, the show being filmed in his own garden. In 1997, he hosted Ground Force, in which he and fellow presenters Charlie Dimmock and Tommy Walsh would perform a makeover on a garden.<ref name="BBCGW" /><ref name="BBCNewsNM">Template:Cite news</ref> After Gardeners' World, Titchmarsh presented two series of How To Be A Gardener.

Away from gardening, Titchmarsh had spells presenting Songs of Praise as well as two BBC nature documentary series, British Isles - A Natural History, and The Nature of Britain

File:Alan Titchmarsh2.jpg
Titchmarsh at the 2008 Gardeners' World Live Exhibition in the NEC

Titchmarsh voiced the title character in Gordon the Garden Gnome, a cartoon series for the CBeebies channel.<ref name="CBBC">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Titchmarsh hosted the 20th Century Roadshow, a 2005 spin off series from the Antiques Roadshow; performed in the 2006 Children's Party at the Palace for the Queen's 80th birthday; and guest hosted an episode of The Paul O'Grady Show. In 2007 Titchmarsh hosted The Great British Village Show.<ref name="TVand radio">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> He also presented the afternoon ITV chat show The Alan Titchmarsh Show (2007–2014) and in 2006 was given a permanent slot on BBC Radio 2 on Sunday evenings with the show Melodies for you.

In 2010, Titchmarsh presented the first series of Popstar to Operastar with Myleene Klass. From 2011 – 2023 he presented the gardening show Love Your Garden. In June 2012 he presented Elizabeth: Queen, Wife, Mother on ITV.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> In August 2011, Titchmarsh left Radio 2. Since January 2012, he has hosted a Saturday morning and now Saturday afternoon show on Classic FM.

In 2013, Titchmarsh was a reporter on the BBC Two programme The Great British Winter. In the same year, he responded to complaints that older women were discriminated against on television by stating he would like to hear less "whingeing". "They don't complain in their early days when they are disporting themselves on sports cars", he stated in an interview with The Observer.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> This drew criticism from media figures who had been protesting against the difficulties faced by older women in the media, including from Miriam O'Reilly, winner of an age discrimination case against the BBC.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

In 2014, Titchmarsh presented The Queen's Garden, a two-part series for ITV, that was filmed over one year.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> In 2015, he presented Britain's Best Back Gardens.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> From 2016 – 2017, he presented the game show Masterpiece for ITV. In 2017, the Channel Five programme Secrets of the National Trust started airing with Titchmarsh as the main presenter.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

In March 2024, it was widely reported in the UK press that Titchmarsh's trousers were censored on Korean Central Television (North Korea television).<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Titchmarsh was wearing jeans in Alan Titchmarsh's Garden Secrets, and jeans are banned in North Korea as they are considered a sign of western imperialism. Speaking to the BBC, Titchmarsh said the news had given him "a bit of street cred." In April this was suspected to be a hoax by Joe Lycett for Late Night Lycett but in the first episode, Lycett confirmed he was not behind the story.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

WritingEdit

Titchmarsh has written for newspapers and magazines for more than 50 years and has written over 70 books, including books on the countryside and the Royal Family. His first book was published in 1979. 20 years later, he branched out into fiction. His first novel was Mr MacGregor in 1998. He has written a dozen novels. Trowel & Error (2002) was an autobiographical work, followed by Nobbut A Lad: A Yorkshire Childhood (2006) and then Knave of Spades (2009) and When I Was A Nipper (2010).Template:Cn

Titchmarsh has also published a series of gardening guides, the How to Garden series (2009 onwards).Template:Cn

Personal lifeEdit

Titchmarsh married Alison in 1975 and they have two children.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> In 2002, he and his wife moved into a grade II listed Georgian Hampshire farmhouse, with a garden of Template:Cvt.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> He also has a coastal home, near Cowes on the Isle of Wight, where he spends about a third of the year.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Titchmarsh is a bell ringer. In 2011, he rang a quarter peal in Holybourne, Hampshire, to celebrate the marriage of Prince William and Catherine Middleton.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Political viewsEdit

Titchmarsh is a monarchist.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> He was reported to have commented favourably on the UK Independence Party's Nigel Farage in 2013<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> and in 2014,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> saying he had "some sympathy with the clarion wake-up call they’re trying to give the country". During a 2017 interview in support of a refugee charity, he clarified: "I said I could understand why he captured the public's imagination. He articulated a lot of peoples' thoughts. But I didn't vote for Brexit. I think we should all stick together."<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

In 2014, Titchmarsh was one of 200 public figures who were signatories to a letter to The Guardian expressing their hope that Scotland would vote to remain part of the United Kingdom in September's referendum on that issue.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Conservation workEdit

In 2011, Titchmarsh participated in an Elm Tree Planting Ceremony to promote urban greening in London.<ref name="auto">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> He returned to the Marylebone and Fitzrovia area to plant a project's 1000th new tree in 2022.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref name=":0">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Honours and awardsEdit

Titchmarsh was appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the 2000 New Year Honours for services to horticulture and broadcasting and was promoted to Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in the 2025 New Year Honours for services to horticulture and to charity <ref name="MBE">Template:London Gazette</ref> He was made a Deputy Lieutenant (DL) of the County of Hampshire in 2001.<ref>Template:London Gazette</ref> In 2008, Titchmarsh served as High Sheriff of the Isle of Wight.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

In 1999, Titchmarsh was awarded an Honorary Doctor of Science (Hon. DSc) degree by the University of Bradford Hon D Univ. Essex 1999 Leeds Metropolitan 2003.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> He was made Patron of Writtle College, a university college in Essex, in 2001 and had a building named after him at the college in 2011 (the 'Titchmarsh Centre for Animal Studies'). In 2004, he was awarded the Royal Horticultural Society's Victoria Medal of Honour, the highest award the RHS can bestow.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> In 2007, he was awarded an honorary degree by the University of Winchester, and in 2015 was designated as the Chancellor of the university, a post he held until 2022. He was honoured by the City of Westminster at a tree planting and plaque ceremony in 2011 and 2022. Among numerous other awards he was given a Lifetime Achievement Award by the Garden Media Guild in 2004 and made an Honorary Fellow of the Society for the Environment in 2014. <ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref name=":0" />

BibliographyEdit

Non-fictionEdit

MemoirsEdit

FictionEdit

PoetryEdit

  • Marigolds, Myrtle and Moles: A Gardener's Bedside Book, Hodder & Stoughton 2020 (Template:ISBN)

FilmographyEdit

Year Title Role Notes
1979–1984 Nationwide Gardening Expert
1984–1986 Breakfast Time Gardening Expert
1986 Open Air Co-Presenter
1987–1991 Daytime Live Presenter
1989–1994 Songs of Praise Presenter
2002 How To Be A Gardener Presenter
1983–2013 RHS Chelsea Flower Show Co-presenter
1991 Titchmarsh's Travels Presenter
1991–1996 Pebble Mill Presenter
1996–2002 Gardeners' World Presenter
1997–2002 Ground Force Presenter
2004 British Isles – A Natural History Presenter
2005 20th Century Roadshow Presenter
Gordon the Garden Gnome Voice of Gordon
2006 The Paul O'Grady Show Guest presenter 1 episode
2007 The Nature of Britain Presenter Documentary series
The Great British Village Show Presenter
2007–2014 The Alan Titchmarsh Show Presenter 15 series
2010 Popstar to Operastar Co-presenter Series 1; with Myleene Klass
2011—2023 Love Your Garden Co-presenter 8 series
2012 Elizabeth: Queen, Wife, Mother Presenter One-off programme
2013 The Great British Winter Presenter
2014 The Queen's Garden Presenter Two-part series
2015 Britain's Best Back Gardens Presenter 1 series
Titchmarsh on Capability Brown Presenter Three Part documentary
2016–2017 Masterpiece with Alan Titchmarsh Co-presenter 2 series; with Rachel Houston-Holland
2016 Winnie-the-Pooh: The Most Famous Bear in the World Presenter One-off documentary
2017—2019 Secrets of the National Trust Presenter 2 series
2017 Royal Windsor Horse Show Live Presenter One-off special
Prince Philip: 70 Years of Service Presenter One-off special
2017—present Love Your Home and Garden Presenter 1 series
2020—present Love Your Weekend with Alan Titchmarsh Presenter 6 series
2021—2022 Alan Titchmarsh: Spring Into Summer Presenter citation CitationClass=web

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2021 Love Your Cottage Garden Special Presenter citation CitationClass=web

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2024 – present Alan Titchmarsh’s Gardening Club Presenter citation CitationClass=web

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ReferencesEdit

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External linksEdit

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