‘Being famous doesn’t happen to people like me’
tune in to closer’s pick of the telly everyone’s talking about with tv editor hannah wright NEW SERIES ALAN TITCHMARSH: Green-fingered pin-up Alan Titchmarsh, 68, returns with a new series of ITV’S Love Your Garden …
What’s the best thing about this show? It really does change people’s lives; that’s not an idle boast. Some of the people we meet have been through a lot. We tailor-make a garden for their needs and we do take a lot of trouble to find out what they like and don’t like. There are “home” makeover episodes as well later on? I’ll tell you how I feel about those episodes when we’ve filmed them! It’s pretty dramatic; the families have to move out of their houses. All their furniture goes and everything… What’s the big reveal like when folk see what you’ve done? Scary! You know, it’s their home. But we try to be responsible and do a good job; then we leave instructions and a phone number. I get a bit concerned, but I know it’s going to look better than it was when they left us to get on with it. Did you ever imagine you would be famous and doing this? Never – this doesn’t happen to people like me! I feel very lucky; mainly to get to 68 and still be stimulated. Doing Love Your Garden is hard graft and I go home tired, I realise I don’t have the stamina I had when I was 30 – but I do have enough to keep me going for a bit… What’s the first thing you do when you get home? Pour a large gin and tonic, and try to stick to just one! Then I’ll have a shower or a bath. Are you particularly houseproud in your own home? I like to be surrounded by pleasant things, and I still enjoy pottering around outside – I was in the garden all day yesterday; I didn’t go into the house. We live in an old Georgian farmhouse with four acres of land, and about two-and-a-half acres is wildflower meadow. Gardening for me is a vacation, not a job. God willing, I don’t have any plans to retire, but I think I should start pacing myself a bit more… Do you get much downtime? I try not to work weekends, but it’s hard when you’re asked to do programmes you like! I do turn down a lot, and I don’t like being away from home as I have family and grandchildren and the garden [Alan has been married to Alison for 42 years and they have two grown-up daughters]. Do you do anything to stay youthful? I do a bit of Pilates. I also do stretches on the bathroom floor most mornings but that’s all. I used to go to the gym but it bored me rigid. I potter and Iwalk a lot. What do you enjoy watching on the telly? Generally, period drama. I was a Downton Abbey fan, and I love things like Grantchester. I enjoyed Victoria as well – I like things that take me out of myself; I’m not all that bothered about the gritty dramas like Line Of Duty. Are you still writing steamy novels? Have you read any? You probably wouldn’t call them steamy if you had! Number 10 has just come out in paperback, and they have all gone into the Sunday Times Top 10, which is very nice. Though you stop writing love scenes when you have to do the audiobooks; you’re reading it out loud and on the other side of the glass is some burly, hairy man who is recording you…