His TV success is impressive

Songs Of Praise, RHS Chelsea Flower Show, Gardeners World, Ground Force, The Alan Titchmarsh Show… Alan has helmed some of British telly’s most loved shows down the years. If a striking CV is the bedrock of becoming a national treasure, he’s certainly got one of those.

He’s made gardening accessible

It’s hard to think of any other public figure in the UK who is as synonymous with horticulture as Titchmarsh. His friendly yet knowledgeable approach to gardening has opened up this positive, mindful and therapeutic world to a huge amount of people. And that can only be a good thing.

He’s a sex symbol

Back in 2001, Titchmarsh was bestowed with that ultimate celebrity honour: he was immortalised as a life-sized waxwork model at Madame Tussaud’s. He later revealed that the face of his statue had to be cleaned twice a week to remove all the lipstick marks left by enthusiastic fans.

He’s not afraid to cry

“The family has a competition to see who can get me going at Christmas,” he told The Guardian in 2013. “The last time I blubbed was on my birthday, when my daughter gave me a framed photo of my 15-month-old grandson Hugo, but I have been known to shed a tear at The Railway Children or Pretty Woman.”

He’s a poet

Titchmarsh’s talents go way beyond the garden. Whether it’s his three memoirs, nine novels or charming poetry, he’s also been known to turn his muddy hands to the written word. Here he is reading one of his own poems, set to some classical music. You can thank us later.