Alan Titchmarsh's wife bans him from BBC Strictly over health concerns

After gracing our television sets for over 40 years, it's emerged that Alan Titchmarsh has been prohibited from appearing on a major TV programme by his wife. The gardening presenter, aged 75, has been a stalwart guide for gardeners since his debut in 1983 on the BBC's Chelsea Flower Show, and is one of Britain's best-loved broadcasters.

However, it seems we won't be witnessing him sashaying across the Strictly Come Dancing floor anytime soon due to a restriction placed by his wife, Alison. After an abundance of on-screen experience that would seemingly pave the way for him to join Strictly, Alan revealed the BBC has approached him half a dozen times to showcase his moves on the dance stage, reports the Mirror

However, he was advised against it by his wife, citing concerns for his knee health. In conversation with Saga magazine, Alan shared: "Alison was a dance tutor and she is convinced my knees wouldn't stay the course."

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But it wasn't solely his wellbeing that deterred the gardening maestro from participating in the BBC 1 show. "On top of that, it is a huge commitment; you start in September and you might be there until Christmas. There's too much other stuff I need to be getting on with," he added.

Though he maintains relatively robust health for his age, the Ground Force icon, who was recently invited to the Foundation Awards ceremony by King Charles, has previously divulged about "taking tablets every day" amid apprehensions that he might "die relatively young". The revelation emerged after the unfortunate passing of his father at the young age of 62. Alan disclosed that heart disease has been a common grim reaper among the men in his lineage.

Speaking to Yours magazine in September 2014, Alan confided: "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."

He elaborated on his concerns, saying: "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."

Additionally, he mentioned to the publication that he suffers from: "Stabbing pains in the back from carrying paving slabs and large posts."

While Alan is well-known for his horticultural expertise, back in 2009, he was unexpectedly dubbed a sex symbol. In an unforeseen twist, Alan became the subject of saucy gossip linked to his wax figure at Madame Tussauds, first revealed to the public in 2001.

A mischievous alteration on Wikipedia led to claims that Alan's waxwork was 'one of the most fondled' exhibits in the museum, second only to Brad Pitt's, with enthusiastic female fans allegedly leaving lipstick marks on its face. A representative for the London tourist attraction reportedly stated: "Oh, yes, Alan gets kissed so often that we regularly take his head off for a clean."

It was also suggested in the same piece that Alan was about to share his expertise on the Kama Sutra with the world.

According to the Daily Express, Alan, who tied the knot with his wife Alison in 1975 after they met at an amateur dramatics class, dismissed the outrageous rumours at the time. However, he conceded that the alleged attention his waxwork received was 'very flattering'.

He further clarified: "As for claims I am writing a book about the Kama Sutra absolute rubbish! I've got a new series of gardening guides coming out, that's it."