Alan Titchmarsh issues defiant four-word response to Love Your Garden critics

Alan Titchmarsh has little time for critics
-Credit:ITV


Alan Titchmarsh, the TV presenter best known for his long run of gardening shows, has long faced some sharp criticism for his unfashionably cosy and traditional presenting style. In fact, it's been rumoured that he was one of the inspirations for Steve Coogan’s cringe-worthy middle-aged TV presenter character Alan Partridge.

Despite this, as he approaches his 76th birthday this May, Titchmarsh appears to be immune to anything his detractors might say.

There was a recent outcry among viewers when his 'Love Your Garden' team put their stamp on Rob and Margaret Isdale's typical suburban patch in Grantham, converting it into a "Secret Garden" with artificial ruins and a Tudor-style shed.

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Alan had built fake 'ruins' in the garden
Alan had built fake 'ruins' in the garden -Credit:ITV

Titchmarsh's decision to adorn the garden with "ancient looking follies" sparked a commotion on social media platforms, with critics accusing him of "ruining" the garden.

Undeterred, the proud Yorkshireman retorted with characteristic straightforwardness, telling the i newspaper: "I'm very proud" of the transformation, further questioning the backlash by saying, "I like it, they like it – what’s wrong with that?!“

Unapologetically centrist, Titchmarsh envisions an ideal political party that would "reward personal endeavour, but also look after those who can’t look after themselves.”

'I like it, they like it,' says Alan. 'What’s wrong with that?!'
'I like it, they like it,' says Alan. 'What’s wrong with that?!'

He reflects on the hardships that he and his wife, Alison, faced as young newlyweds, rejecting the notion that today's youth have it harder with housing affordability, countering that wages and rising costs were as much a challenge back in the '70s.

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Alan insists, "We had it hard in the 70s too," recollecting that when they bought their first house in 1975, the mortgage was paramount, necessitating genuine thrift for other expenses.

"These days, the younger generation is expected to manage more expenses such as mobile phones, Netflix subscriptions, and Starbucks coffee. We didn't have these luxuries," he said.

Alan is a staunch traditionalist
Alan is a staunch traditionalist

He doesn't quite go as far as to say that life was tougher in the 1960s, but he believes it wasn't any easier either. "I think it was just as difficult," he states. "I think it’s uninformed of younger people to assume we had it easy.

"It’s always been tough." He acknowledges that the concerns of young people about the ongoing climate crisis are valid, but they need to be balanced.

"Those fears are well grounded," he says. "But they mustn’t override our appreciation for the world that’s directly around us."