30 June 2023 , 08:39
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Alan Titchmarsh has been married almost as long and he's been gardening for as he gears up to celebrate his 50th wedding anniversary.
The Ground Force star married Alison, a doctor, 48 years ago - and it was just around then that he picked up a trawl and a watering can for the first time.
They first met when they were both in their early 20s at an amateur dramatics group and quickly found out there was a lot in common.
Sharing daughters Polly, 41 and Camilla, 39, they are also grandparents too but his wife prefers to keep out of the spotlight.
But like any couple together for so long, they have not been without their difficult times.
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He did have an on-set falling out with co star Tommy Walsh (BBC)
Hands off though, ladies - he's been happily married for nearly 50 years (Dave J Hogan/Getty Images)Alan, 74, has battled more than just a bit of backache over the years, and he has opened up on some of his painful health struggles in the past - some of which have been caused by his career.
Back in 2020 the gardening guru revealed he is taking daily pills in a bid to ward off the heart disease that killed his father and other male relatives.
He is is now taking medication to lower his cholesterol levels and explained: “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.”
He also admitted he often has “blackened fingernails, lacerated arms and legs from confrontations with well-armed rose bushes, stabbing pains in the back from carrying paving slabs and large posts.”
Alan has had plenty of royal appointments over the years (Getty)Let's hope he cleaned himself up for a very important dinner last year.
Alan dined with Charles the night before the Queen died and says 'we understand each other' after bonding for over 40 years.
His wife Alison is always by his side and as a former doctor, he is in safe hands.
They will celebrate a fifth decade of happy marriage in 2025 but when they first started out, things were very challenging.
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Alan said they were short of money when they were younger - so much so that even a meal out was a once-in-a-blue-moon treat.
Things have certainly changed and they now split their time between their Grade-II listed Georgian farmhouse in Hampshire and their holiday home near Cowes on the Isle of Wight.
He gushed to Yours magazine: "I’m a lucky man, because she’s the most un-materialistic person I know."
The much-loved gardener has also faced a health battle (ITV)
But when he and Alison met in their 20s, he didn't have enough money to wine and dine her"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."
Speaking to the Mirror about how the couple have managed to keep their love strong for all those years Alan said: "Romance is about being thoughtful.
"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's loved by millions but of course you can't get on with all the people all the time.
Tommy Walsh was a fan favourite when he appeared on Ground Force with Alan and Charlie Dimmock.
But the co-stars once had a bit of a falling out after a garden incident.
While sawing timber one time, Tommy accidentally covered the flower beds in sawdust, leaving Alan fuming at his co-star.
"Call me picky if you like but I like my Ground Force gardens to be pristine when we finish them," he told Radio Times about the tiff.
"I do not get a thrill from seeing them covered in dandruff."
While the pair did manage to put the incident to one side, it did get a bit tense for a bit as they were both left reeling.
"For a while, it did get a bit hairy," said Tommy. "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."
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 moments.