has made a triumphant return to Two, showcasing the esteemed Rachel de Thame as she shares her invaluable gardening insights. Although Rachel is now celebrated for her horticultural expertise, her journey to this point has been anything but conventional.
Rachel’s story begins at the tender age of 10 when she embarked on training as a professional ballet dancer. With dreams of pirouettes and performances, she dedicated herself to the art of dance.
However, at just 15, her aspirations were derailed due to a bout of glandular fever. This unexpected illness forced her to reassess her future, and by the age of 19, she made the heartbreaking decision to leave behind her dreams of dance for good.
Transitioning to a different creative path, Rachel immersed herself in studies of drama and art. Her passion for aesthetics and creativity soon led her to a prestigious international firm of art dealers in London, where she thrived in a world filled with exquisite artworks and cultural treasures.
In 1986, Rachel’s life took another significant turn when she married her first husband, Stephen Colover, while expecting their first child. During this pivotal time, she caught the eye of a modelling agency, which opened doors to a new venture. She then appeared in several TV commercials, gaining valuable experience in front of the camera.
:
Rachel de Thame was a ballerina and model before landing her role on Gardners’ World (Image: BBC)
Her unique blend of talent led her to roles in the miniseries “Merlin” and the compelling feature film “Bodywork.”
Despite her initial success in acting, Rachel realised that her heart was not in the industry. In a decisive move, she followed her true passion for gardening and enrolled in a gardening school in 1998. This set the stage for her remarkable career transformation into a beloved gardening expert.
Shortly after, Gardeners’ World snapped her up. She initially presented weekly. However, following the birth of her second child with her second husband, Gerard de Thame, she now only makes occasional appearances.
She and her second husband are parents to two children and live in West London and the Cotswolds, Gloucestershire, having moved from Oxfordshire.
In 2018, she was diagnosed with breast cancer and began treatment, revealing her diagnosis after a break from Gardeners’ World.
Don’t miss… [NEWS] [NEWS]
Rachel de Thame has been married twice (Image: BBC)
Rachel opened up about her personal battle, confessing: “I haven’t been hiding, but I was diagnosed with breast cancer at the beginning of the year, and so I have been undergoing treatment for that.
“I’m doing well and coming towards the end of it. It’s caught early, so that’s all very positive, so on the whole, it’s better not to be working too much just now.”
She also discussed the therapeutic nature of horticulture: “I know there’s a big message this year at Chelsea about the importance of gardening for your general and mental health. If you’re going through some chronic illness, whatever it is, it’s vital to go out and be in a garden.”
In an interview with The Guardian, she delved into her varied career trajectory: “It’s important not to worry too much about getting your career direction right when you’re young.”
“Life is a series of very different stages, and there is no reason to assume that what you start out doing will have any relation to where you end up.”
From her initial days as a receptionist to making waves on television, Rachel’s path has been anything but ordinary: “I’ve gone from receptionist to model, to actor, and finally to gardening TV presenter. Nothing is a disaster while you’re young.”
And when it comes to plunging into the realms of modelling or TV, she’s refreshingly candid: “If someone wanted to get into either modelling or TV, I wouldn’t know what to tell them – I fell into both.”