Charlie Dimmock addresses TV future in rare interview


Charlie Dimmock on Love Your Weekend
Charlie Dimmock on Love Your Weekend (ITV)

Charlie Dimmock opened up about her future in television while chatting to her former Ground Force co-star Alan Titchmarsh in a rare interview on Love Your Weekend. 

During the episode, which aired in December, Alan reflected on his time working with the Garden Rescue host and praised her attitude towards her TV fame.

Charlie Dimmock on Love Your Weekend
Charlie Dimmock addressed her future in television (ITV)

"What I admired about you was that you were so philosophical about television," he said. "It was not the be-all and end all of your life, you knew it would be transitory, you thought it would be but you were wrong. But you thought, it's nice it's happening now, you never got your head turned in spite of the fact that you did appear on the cover of the Radio Times as Venus de Milo emerging from a scallop shell in a body stocking," he continued, to which Charlie replied: "We are gardeners. We are basically down to earth, aren't we? It is what it is and you've got to carry on."

Alan asked: "Do you want to carry on? Do you enjoy it?"

Alan Titchmarsh and Charlie Dimmock on Love Your Weekend
The gardener joined Alan Titchmarsh on Love Your Weekend (ITV)

Charlie responded: "Yes and no. I don't know. I do love it but I hate it at the same time," to which Alan offered: "Because it gets in the way of life?"

Charlie said: "It gets in the way of different things and stuff like that."

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Alan, who co-hosted Ground Force with Charlie and Tommy Walsh from 1997 until his departure in 2002, later asked the flame-haired garden guru how she spends her time when she's not on TV. "Just like everyone else, family and friends," she explained. "Christmas for me is family and friends. I don't believe people anyone goes off and does bizarre, weird things at Christmas," continued the presenter, adding: "At the end of the day, you want to be with your mates and your family and friends."

Charlie Dimmock, Alan Titchmarsh and Tommy Walsh
Charlie Dimmock, Alan Titchmarsh and Tommy Walsh hosted Ground Force together (Tony Sapiano/Shutterstock)

While Charlie has been a regular face on our screens since 2016, she took an 11-year break from TV before hosting Garden Rescue.

Addressing the reason for her TV hiatus, Charlie previously told RadioTimes.com: "People think that if you're suddenly not on telly, you've stopped working.

"That doesn't happen, because we all have mortgages to pay," she continued. "I had been on TV a very long time [1997 to 2005], but I had always been doing other things. Ground Force ran its course. It was of its time. It was good fun, very enjoyable, and it had its run."

Garden Rescue presenters Chris Hull, Flo Headlam, Charlie Dimmock, Lee Burkhill
Charlie fronts Garden Rescue with Chris Hull, Flo Headlam and Lee Burkhill (Spun Gold TV, BBC)

The presenter went on to say: "I've been busy. At the end of the day I do have a real job. I'm a gardener. I do garden design. I've been doing a lot of work with dementia homes, at flower shows, giving demonstrations, working on cruises. I've been pootling around doing quite a lot of things."