Alan Titchmarsh has ruled out a reunion of the popular BBC gardening show Ground Force, explaining that at 75 years old, he’s not keen on the physical demands of the programme.
The veteran broadcaster, who co-hosted the garden makeover series with Charlie Dimmock and Tommy Walsh from 1997 until his departure in 2002, spoke candidly about why fans shouldn’t expect a revival.
Titchmarsh admitted that while he has fond memories of the show, certain aspects no longer appeal to him.
“I’m still very fit and very spry, but the prospect of lugging paving slabs around at 75 is probably not a good idea,” he explained.
The comments come as Titchmarsh prepares to launch his new YouTube channel this month.
Ground Force, which ran for 12 seasons and ended in 2005, saw the team transform gardens of individuals nominated by family or friends.
“All three of us enjoyed doing it, but it’s been 23 years since we did that,” Titchmarsh told Hello! magazine.
“It was of its time, and I followed it up with Love Your Garden, which is making gardens for people whose lives were going to be turned around by it. So I’ve done that now I’m getting on.”
LATEST DEVELOPMENTS:
James Corden, 46, under fire for crude sexual joke about Dame Judi Dench, 90, at awards ceremonyBBC Doctor Who slapped with bizarre trigger warnings as episode deemed ‘discriminatory about aliens’ITV Grace viewers point out major plot hole just minutes into new series: ‘So unrealistic’
The 75-year-old gardening expert has maintained this position for years, having previously dismissed reunion rumours during a 2017 appearance on Lorraine.
When asked then if the show would ever return, he said: “I don’t think so. I don’t think the other side [the BBC] want to do it.”
“That was of its time but it’s lovely to have an opportunity with YouTube something fresh and new,” he added.
Despite no longer working together on television, Titchmarsh revealed he still maintains a warm relationship with his former Ground Force colleagues.
“We bump into each other every now and again, we’re very fond of one another,” he said of his friendship with Dimmock.
The trio’s on-screen chemistry helped make Ground Force a hit show during its run, though it wasn’t always smooth sailing behind the scenes.
The Mirror reports that Walsh once recalled a heated exchange in 2000, when Titchmarsh lost his patience after Walsh accidentally covered flower beds with sawdust while working on a garden in Essex.
“For a while it did get a bit hairy,” Walsh admitted. “But when we’d both calmed down we actually kissed – yes – and made up.”
Despite such occasional tensions, the three presenters clearly formed a lasting bond during their time transforming Britain’s gardens.
Titchmarsh’s new YouTube channel, Gardening with Alan Titchmarsh, is set to launch this April, marking a digital shift for the veteran broadcaster.
The weekly episodes will be filmed from his Hampshire garden, where he has lived with his wife Alison since 2002 in a grade II listed Georgian farmhouse with four acres of grounds.
His videos will cover a range of gardening topics, from how-to guides to specific masterclasses.
This new venture comes after Titchmarsh was awarded a CBE in the 2025 New Year Honours for services to horticulture and charity.
Fans from across the globe flocked to Titchmarsh’s social media pages to congratulate the star on the achievement – including some very famous faces.
Countryfile star Matt Baker branded Titchmarsh an “inspiration” in a particularly moving tribute after he was awarded the CBE.
“Congratulations Alan – you’ve always been an inspiration to me,” Baker penned on Instagram.
