Alan Titchmarsh MBE (presenter) with his daughter’s dog Mabel the Cockapoo (Image: CHANNEL 5)
Alan Titchmarsh is set to charm viewers once again with his latest Channel 5 series Underdog to Superdog, returning on February 11. Viewers can look forward to Alan meeting a Greek Harehound named Mili, as she learns the art of ‘mantrailing’—a technique to locate people using their scent on clothing.
Celebrated gardener, author, and broadcaster at 75 years old, Alan Titchmarsh is renowned for his stints on shows like Gardners’ World, Ground Force, and Love Your Garden. Born in West Riding of Yorkshire, Alan started his horticultural journey with Ilkley Council before studying Agriculture and Horticulture and securing a job at Kew Gardens.
He then branched out into gardening journalism in 1974. With a broadcasting career initiated as a Radio 4 expert on shows like ‘You and Yours’ and ‘The Today Programme’ since 1997, he has presented numerous TV series.
In an unexpected twist of international fame, North Korea’s censors blurred out Alan’s trousers in a broadcast of Alan Titchmarsh’s Garden Secrets, due to his jeans being a banned symbol of western imperialism. Reflecting on this peculiar censorship with humour, Alan told the he had acquired “a bit of street cred”.
His humorous remark showcased his good spirits; “It’s taken me to reach the age of 74 to be regarded in the same sort of breath as , Tom Jones, Rod Stewart.”
Alan Titchmarsh is a father and grandfather (Image: Getty Images)
He jested further: “You know, wearing trousers that are generally considered by those of us of a sensitive disposition to be rather too tight.”
He defended his choice of attire by claiming that his jeans weren’t too snug, despite them being deemed inappropriate in North Korea.
He continued with a hint of humour: “I’ve never seen myself as a dangerous subversive imperialist – I’m generally regarded as rather cosy and pretty harmless, so actually it’s given me a bit of street cred really hasn’t it?”
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Alan’s jeans were censored on Korean television (Image: KCTV)
Speaking about his off-screen life, Alan’s long-standing marriage to Alison began in 1975 after their paths crossed in their youthful days at an amateur dramatics group.
Their family grew with the arrival of two daughters: Polly in 1980 and Camilla two years later in 1982. Both daughters have extended the family tree with their own little ones, which means Alan proudly wears the title of grandfather.
The family’s residences include a charming grade II listed Georgian farmhouse nestled in Hampshire, and they also enjoy escapes to a seaside property near Cowes on the Isle of Wight.
Alan Titchmarsh’s Underdog to Superdog airs on Channel 5 on Tuesday, February 11 from 7pm