Garden Rescue star Charlie Dimmock’s dramatic transformation over the years as unearthed photos show her nineties TV debut alongside Alan Titchmarsh
Charlie Dimmock has been delighting viewers for over twenty years, and some may remember that she started revamping gardens on BBC’s Ground Force way back in 1997.
But the TV star, 57, became a household name after joining Garden Rescue in 2016, where she is known for her makeover skills while creating and designing gardens for a variety of homeowners.
After her pivotal role in Ground Force alongside Tommy Walsh and Alan Titchmarsh from 1997 to 2005, she had her own series Charlie’s Gardening Neighbors in 2001, which lasted one season.
It’s clear that gardening has always been Charlie’s true passion, as from 2013 to 2015 she also joined some of Britain’s most renowned gardeners on BBC Two’s Great British Garden Revival.
Charlie Dimmock (far right) has been delighting viewers for over twenty years, and some may remember that she started revamping gardens way back in 1997 on BBC’s Ground Force (pictured in 2022 on Garden Rescue)
But the TV star, 57, became a household name after joining Garden Rescue in 2016, where she is known for her makeover skills while creating and designing gardens for a variety of homeowners.
EARLIER
Charlie studied horticulture and trained at Chelsea Physic Garden, and not long after took on Ground Force – her first ever successful role.
At the time, the star managed to steal hearts even while busy with the grueling task, and in 2014 she said: ‘It was all very stupid. I remember Esther Rantzen saying to me, “You will be called the braless one for the rest of your life.”
“People still comment on it to me. Some of them are male fans, some are female.”
BECOMING A HOUSEHOLD NAME ON GARDEN RESCUE
In July 2016, Charlie started presenting Garden Rescue, alongside fellow experts Lee Burkhill, Flo Headlam and Chris Hull in an effort to turn untreated gardens into beautiful outdoor spaces.
She initially co-hosted the show with brothers Harry and David Rich and attracted 12 million viewers at their peak, until they all quit the show in 2021.
She began presenting on Ground Force from 1997 to 2005 alongside Tommy Walsh and Alan Titchmarsh (pictured together in 2000).
It’s clear that gardening has always been Charlie’s true passion, and the star also had her own series Charlie’s Gardening Neighbors in 2001, which lasted one season (pictured in 1997).
A BREAK FROM TELLY
After a spell away from the screens, Charlie returned to the screens in 2016, but not before taking an eleven-year break from appearing and hosting on television.
Speaking on Radio Times, she explained about her break from showbiz: ‘People think that if you are suddenly no longer on television, you no longer work.
‘That doesn’t happen, because we all have to pay a mortgage.
‘I had been on television for a long time [1997 to 2005], but I was always doing other things. Ground Force ran its course. It was of its time. It was a lot of fun, a lot of fun, and it was successful.”
She added: “I’ve been busy. Eventually I will have a real job. I am a gardener.
‘I do garden design. I have worked a lot at dementia homes, at flower shows, given demonstrations, and participated in cruises. I’ve done a lot of things.’
PRIVATE LIFE
The TV favorite is rumored to be currently single but previously enjoyed a romance with vintner John Mushet.
The couple met in the early 1990s during a trip Charlie took to New Zealand, and as soon as they returned home they settled down.
Charlie studied horticulture and trained at Chelsea Physic Garden, and not long after took on Ground Force – her first ever successful role (pictured in 1999)
In July 2016, Charlie started presenting Garden Rescue, alongside fellow experts Lee Burkhill, Flo Headlam and Chris Hull in an effort to turn untreated gardens into beautiful outdoor spaces (photo LR Flo, Lee, Charlie and Chris)
Charlie took an eleven-year break from television before returning to screens in 2016 (pictured in 2007)
Yet the couple never married and eventually split in 2001, after the presenter had an affair with then-Ground Force microphone operator Andy Simmons, and a year later she admitted that she ‘doesn’t see Andy anymore’.
Speaking in 2002, she added: ‘But I don’t regret what happened. You wouldn’t do anything if you kept worrying about what could go wrong.
‘John and I had been together for a long time, so when we broke up I relied heavily on family and close friends.
“I’ve found that the hardest aftereffect of the breakup is getting into a new relationship.”
The presenter also dated another member of Ground Force’s off-camera team: sound engineer Barry Smith.
Charlie opened up about her marriage prospects while speaking exclusively to Ny Breaking: ‘I think I’m too old now. I don’t see anything happening when it comes to romance; someone should really knock me down. I’m quite content without a man in my life.’
Tragically, the gardener’s life underwent further upheaval during the final years of the popular outdoor show, when her mother and stepfather died in Thailand’s Boxing Day tsunami in 2004 while on holiday in Phuket.
Rumor has it that the TV favorite is currently single, but previously had a romance with vintner John Mushet; the couple met in the early 1990s during a trip Charlie took to New Zealand, and they settled down when they returned home (pictured in 2000)
The gardener split from John in 2001 after an affair with Ground Force microphone operator Andy Simmons; she also dated another member of Ground Force’s off-camera team: sound engineer Barry Smith (pictured in 1997)
The TV star did not speak about the tragedy at the time, but her agent said in a statement: ‘It is very upsetting for her. It was too early for her to come to terms with it.
‘Right now she has to deal with it day by day. We promised her we would protect her.”
Garden Rescue returns today on BBC One at 3.45pm from the Merseyside village of Port Sunlight.