It was the moment Britain’s favourite gardener admits he felt “very frightened”.
On an airlift to hospital for emergency surgery, Alan Titchmarsh was suffering agonising chest pains.
The 67-year-old star of TV shows such as Gardeners’ World and Ground Force recalled: “I hoped I wasn’t going to die, and I was hanging on in there but the pain was so acute at one point I thought it might be a blessed relief.”
With a family history of heart disease – his father died suddenly in 1986 from a heart attack at the age of 62 – there was obvious concern when Alan started suffering pains in his chest eight months ago.
He said: “The pain lasted and was absolute agony and every bit as agonising as a heart attack.
“At first I thought it was indigestion as I know that can give you chest pains – but it didn’t wear off.
“I didn’t know what was wrong and although I didn’t think it was a heart attack, it was frightening. I think it frightened my wife more, because of my family history, The men have a tendency to die from heart disease at a relatively young age.”
After wife Alison called the emergency services, Alan was taken to the nearest hospital to his Isle of Wight home, then airlifted to Portsmouth’s Queen Alexandra Hospital.
He was diagnosed with gallstones and had surgery to remove his gall bladder.
Although a diet high in saturated fat and pre-formed cholesterol makes gallstones more likely, Alan says he is careful with his diet and weight.
He said: “It was a rare treat that day to have home-made fish and chips followed by an Easter egg.
“It was just one of those things and quite unglamorous, but it pulled me up short. Thankfully, after a straightforward op, I haven’t had any more trouble.”
Yorkshire-born Alan, who this year appeared on ITV’s Love Your Garden and hosted game show Masterpiece, has clearly recovered his equilibrium and would rather focus on his latest novel, Mr Gandy’s Grand Tour.
The hero isn’t dissimilar to the author – a middle-aged man who enjoys painting, travelling and boats, and finds himself a magnet for attractive women.
Titchmarsh is modest about his own legion of female fans.
He said: “I never see myself as having some sort of attraction to the opposite sex. At the end of the day, all you can do is be yourself and be genuine.”
Inspiration for his plot, he says, came from a desire to explore the scenario of a man who had remained in a long, unsatisfying marriage, but on becoming a widower, suddenly takes off on an adventure on his own.
He said: “My wife always reads my books first and when she read this one she asked me, ‘It’s not about us, is it?’ I said, ‘No, of course not.’ After all, PD James never murdered anyone but she wrote brilliant crime mysteries.
“Alison and I have been married 41 years. She’s my best friend, and family life – our two daughters, sons-in-law and four grandchildren – is at the heart of everything.
“I hope I’m romantic, but I think being considerate is just as important as gestures on occasions. Marriage is about thinking about the other person and enjoying one another’s company.”
Although he’s been urged by his family to take life easier, he confesses it’s difficult.
He explained: “I don’t want to retire as I think you need a sense of purpose and a reason to get up in the morning. So I’ll always be a gardener,
“I couldn’t do without that - it’s part of me. I love the writing which is solitary and then I have a balance of the fun and socialising of the TV work. So far, it’s a perfect mix.”
There is one aspect of his fame he does find hard to handle – criticism.
He said: “I’m sensitive by nature, which helps me as a writer, but you need a thicker skin in my other world of TV.
“I’m lucky I’ve found a group of folk who appreciate what I do but it still hurts if you do
something and it’s a disappointment.”
Alan undoubtedly enjoys royal approval. The Queen gave him keys to the back garden at
Buckingham Palace for a documentary, and he’s toured the gardens at Highgrove with Prince Charles, who describes him as a “friend”.
Alan said: “It’s very sweet of the prince to say I’m a friend. We’ve known each other a long time now and I think he’s the hardest working person I’ve ever met. He’s totally committed to making the world a better place.
“As for talking to the plants, for which he’s been teased, I do the same. I threaten my plants if they’re not doing well and say, ‘You’ve got another week and then you’re on the compost heap.’”
Alan acknowledges he still finds it “scary and rather shocking” that he’s lived longer than his father but he’s happy he was able to witness his success.
He said: “He loved seeing me get on and that’s a big comfort.
“I’m often accused of being relentlessly cheerful, and in company, I am because why would you burden other folk with your problems?
“Anyway, I’ve got no reason to be grumpy and if I occasionally am, I’ll give myself a talking to. I’ve been incredibly lucky and never expected the life I have. Even now, I expect someone to say, ‘Who are you and what the hell are you doing here?’
“Gardening’s opened so many doors for me and I think it can benefit everyone by keeping us grounded - no pun intended.
“When I’m at home, our garden’s my special retreat.
“I look forward to my walk around it on Christmas Day.
“It’s one of the most serene times of the year, when it’s quiet all around us and I slip out. I’ll be out there making plans.”
- Mr Gandy’s Grand Tour by Alan Titchmarsh is published by Hodder & Stoughton, priced £18.99. Available now.
