Former Ground Force presenter Charlie Dimmock has been a TV gardening expert for over three decades and has been a regular on BBC’s Garden Rescue since 2016 – here is her transformation over the years
TV personality Charlie Dimmock first graced our screens as part of the BBC’s Garden Rescue team in 2016, but she’s been a household name since 1997.
The 59 year old made her memorable debut over two decades ago as a gardening guru on the BBC’s outdoor makeover show, Ground Force, where she stayed until its final episode in 2005.
Charlie then took the helm of The Joy of Gardening before presenting her own series, Charlie’s Garden Army, which only ran for one season. Then, in 2013, she joined some of Britain’s most esteemed gardeners on BBC Two’s Great British Garden Revival until 2015.
Charlie can now be regularly spotted presenting Garden Rescue, where she and a team of top designers traverse the country and compete to create dream gardens across the UK.
As the TV star has been a long-time fan favourite across the UK, here is a glimpse into her transformation throughout the years.
The gardening expert and television presenter burst onto our screens on Ground Force, alongside Alan Titchmarsh and Tommy Walsh which ran between 1997 and 2005, reports the Express.
At the height of its popularity it drew in 12 million viewers, but the show was hit with a shocking scandal when Charlie split from her long-term partner, John Mushet, in 2001 after having an affair with microphone operator, Andy Simmons.
Just last year, Charlie has said she had “no regrets” about her shock affair with a co-star during her time on Ground Force, she has also opened up about a family tragedy that shook her to her core.
Charlie previously opened up about the affair in 2002 and admitted she “doesn’t see Andy anymore”. “But I don’t regret what happened,” she said.
“You wouldn’t do anything if you kept worrying about what might go wrong,” she said. “John and I had been together for a long time so when we split up, I relied heavily on family and close friends. I’ve discovered that the most difficult after-effect of the break-up is getting into another relationship.”
Charlie went on to date another member of the programme’s crew, sound technician Barry Smith. A few years after the split, Charlie experienced heartbreak when her mother and stepfather died in the Boxing Day Tsunami in 2004.
They were on holiday in Phuket, Thailand, when the tsunami hit. Charlie did not speak about the tragedy at the time but her agent said in a statement: “It is very upsetting for her. It has been too soon for her to come to terms with it. She is coping day by day at the moment. We have promised her that we will protect her.”
According to The Daily Mail, Charlie turned down any work for two years after the tragedy struck. Charlie’s career has since branched off in more directions than gardening, including an acting stint when she took on a short role in the 2010 touring production of Calendar Girls.
She has since returned to our screens on the BBC makeover show Garden Rescue, alongside garden designers The Rich Brothers with whom she competes to create stunning outdoor spaces for homeowners around the country.
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