Homes Under the Hammer star Tommy Walsh's career and awkward feud with co-star

22 January 2024 , 11:41

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Alan Titchmarsh and his fellow former Ground Force presenter Tommy Walsh once had a blazing row (Image: PA)

DIY guru Tommy Walsh will star in his final Homes Under the Hammer series after BBC bosses decided to give their flagship property show a makeover.

Celebrity builder Tommy has left the popular daytime show and will be replaced by rising star Owain Wyn Evans, it has been reported today. The 67-year-old, who has helped transform hundreds of gardens and properties over his two-decade-long career, reportedly filmed his final scenes last year and will not be returning.

While viewers have loved watching him on the programme, it was another iconic makeover show that made his name. Ground Force, which first aired in 1997, saw television presenter Tommy, alongside fellow hosts, celebrity builder Alan Titchmarsh and green-fingered maestro Charlie Dimmock, create dream landscapes.

Alan reportedly lost his rag with Tommy while filming Ground Force back in the day (Alamy Stock Photo)

Although the trio became best friends filming the family-friendly gardening show, there were times behind the scenes when they didn't exactly see eye to eye. Once Alan infamously lost his rag with Tommy over sawdust - but they literally kissed and made up after the 'hairy' encounter.

"When we first started filming we were polite to each other for the first two series but by the third series we were like family," explained Charlie to Hello! magazine in June 2021. "My main memory of Ground Force was laughing lots. It was the same team week in, week out, as well as the same production and crew. You know what it's like when you work with a team of people and you get on."

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During one blazing row in 2000, the usually polite Alan reportedly lost his rag at Tommy while planting beds in a garden in Pitsea, Essex, after the DIY expert accidentally covered the soil with sawdust while sawing timber. In an interview with the Radio Times, Tommy revealed: "Call me picky if you like but I like my Ground Force gardens to be pristine when we finish them. I do not get a thrill from seeing them covered in dandruff."

Although the two men did manage to put the incident aside, Tommy admits it did create some tension. Recalling the aftermath of their fight, Tommy continued: "For a while, it did get a bit hairy. But when we'd both calmed down we actually kissed (yes) and made up. What made me cross was that I was working flat out to get everything ready and here was Alan moaning about a bit of stray sawdust."

Tommy has filmed his final scenes for Homes Under The Hammer (BBC/Curve Media Ltd/Gary Moyes)

Owain will replace him on the show and make his debut this series (Dave Benett/Getty Images)

According to Alan, the one good thing to come out of the heated exchange was that it silenced their fellow host Charlie for a few moment. "She just kept her head down and fiddled with her water feature," he added. But they quickly put the incident to one side and remain friends to this day despite going off in their own separate directions.

Tommy joined Homes Under the Hammer in 2021 alongside original presenters Martin Roberts, Martel Maxwell and ex-footballer Dion Dublin. A year later, the DIY guru disclosed his throat cancer diagnosis, having had two benign lumps removed from his chest 20 years earlier. He shared at the time: "I had to go in straight away and have surgery to remove it. I am now fully recovered and even back playing football!"

As there will be a crossover period, Tommy will present alongside weatherman Owain, 39, when the BBC series next returns to our screens. A TV source told The Sun: "Bosses wanted a makeover to keep younger viewers interested. They have been keen to get Owain onto one of their popular shows for a while - he will add a new dynamic. The upcoming series will feature both Tommy and Owain as there is a three-month lag with the house makeovers, so there is some crossover."

Owain has presented the weather on regional BBC shows for years and made his BBC Breakfast debut in 2021, having previously reported for The One Show. The popular Welsh broadcaster currently hosts Radio 2's Early Breakfast Show and raised over £3million for Children In Need with his 24-hour drum-athon in 2021.

Nia Dalton