Alan Titchmarsh has carved out an impressive career as a TV presenter and writer over the past three decades, with his passion for gardening at the centre of everything he does.
The 74 year old broadcaster first graced our TV screens back in 1989 as a presenter on Songs of Praise, and he's since gone on to front programmes including The Nature of Britain, Popstar to Operastar and Love Your Garden.
Alan has presented numerous Royal gardening programmes and even shares a close bond with King Charles III, with the duo's friendship spanning four decades.
Away from his incredible career though, what else do we know about Alan Titchmarsh? Let's take a look...
Alan, who hails from Ilkley, has been married to his wife Alison since 1975 and the couple share two children together, Polly and Camilla. They are also grandparents.
Alan and Alison, who is a doctor, split their time between their Grade-II listed Georgian farmhouse in Hampshire and their holiday home near Cowes on the Isle of Wight. However, things haven't always been so glamorous for the couple, with Alan previously saying they struggled for money at the beginning of their romance.
He told Yours magazine: "I’m a lucky man, because she’s the most un-materialistic person I know. We never went out for dinner, we couldn't afford it. We used to save 25p a week with our butcher so we could be sure of a Christmas joint. We would try to avoid the milkman when he wanted paying."
The gardener has been smitten with his wife for nearly five decades, so what's his secret to a long and happy marriage?
"Romance is about being thoughtful," Alan previously told the Mirror. "I have made Alison tea for more than 45 years – but mind you, she’s ironed my shirts every week for years, which is the greater gift."
He also makes sure to always listen to Alison's advice, even if that does mean turning down the chance to appear on Strictly Come Dancing.
In an exclusive chat with OK!, Alan admitted that Strictly isn't a route he wants to go down and Alison agrees. He said: "Strictly asked me again this year for the sixth time. My wife taught dance and she said my knees won’t take the lifts and I think she’s quite right. So I stay clear of that one."
He's even been asked to head into the I'm A Celebrity jungle, but that's also unappealing to Alan, who admitted that he worries about "the damage to the wildlife" on the ITV show.
He laughed: "I was asked to do I’m A Celebrity last year and I turned that one down for about the third time, too. That’s not my bag, I’m not a reality TV type. I like to be doing something, like presenting, rather than people assassinating me for the fluff in my navel!”
Alan is keen to look after his health, and in 2020 he revealed he takes daily pills in order to prevent heart disease, as his father and other male relatives died from the disease.
He told how he takes medication to lower his cholesterol levels, explaining: “I’m on statins. I wish I wasn’t. I don’t like the thought of taking tablets every day, but I’m following my doctor’s advice. He thinks it’s a good idea.
“The thing is, the men in my family have had a tendency to die from heart disease at a relatively young age. My dad, for instance, died suddenly in 1986 from a heart attack, aged just 62.”
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