Gardening expert Charlie Dimmock has graced our screens for nearly 30 years – appearing on Ground Force and Garden Rescue amongst other TV appearances.
The 56-year-old TV star shot to fame in 1997 when she appeared alongside Alan Titchmarsh and Tommy Walsh on popular show Ground Force.
She left the programme in 2004 and later made a few appearances on other shows including a cameo on Hollyoaks, Celebrity MasterChef and more.
Charlie became somewhat of a sex symbol during her time on the show and previously said of her status: "I was never a sex symbol before, so how could I suddenly become one? It’s just a bit silly. I received a few silly letters back then, like a marriage proposal from a farmer in Australia."
Then, in 2016, Charlie returned to our screens for Garden Rescue on the BBC.
After making a comeback to our screens, Charlie was hit by cruel comments about her changing body – despite it being something that happens to many people over the years.
In 2016, the star was even defended against trolls by Lorraine Kelly.
She told The Sun at the time: "It’s horribly unfair.
"If Alan Titchmarsh had developed a bit of a pot belly, no one would have turned a hair but because Charlie is a woman, she’s considered to be a fair target."
Despite some cruel criticism, Charlie has been incredibly open and embraced her new look and said she felt "life is too short" to worry about weight.
She told the Independent in 2016: "I've always been up and down in my weight. I’ll never be slim or skinny, let’s put it like that. One season I’ll be a size 14, then 18, but it’s something I’ve just accepted now. I’m at that age where I think, life is too short."
During the same chat, she revealed her reaction to people drawing attention to her not wearing a bra.
She said: "The TV presenter Esther Rantzen said to me: 'You'll be labelled the bra-less one for the rest of your life'.
"Ground Force was a long time ago, and I have to say, even now, people will bring it up. It is very silly."
However, the star said she favoured going bra-less for comfort reasons.
She added: "It was always just for comfort. If you're swinging a sledgehammer, you want to be comfortable! People say, 'Why don't you wear a sports bra?' But those are not the comfiest things in the world."
Charlie has been relatively private about her life away from her gardening career.
But, during her time on Ground Force, Charlie had a long-term relationship with John Mushet but after 13 years together, in 2001, the pair split after her affair with Ground Force sound technician Andy Simmonds was revealed.
She previously told the Daily Mail of her split: "I don't see Andy any more, but I don't regret what happened. You wouldn't do anything if you kept worrying about what might go wrong.
"John and I had been together for a long time so when we split up I relied heavily on family and close friends."
