How rich is Alan Titchmarsh?

By This Is Money
Created: 06:54 EDT, 18 May 2011

 

In the latest in our Celebrity Money series, examining how the rich and famous made their fortunes, we look at TV presenter, gardener and 'unlikely sex symbol' Alan Titchmarsh...

Alan Titchmarsh's Garden Secrets television programme

Ever-green: Alan Titchmarsh has signed an £11m deal with ITV

At his age many people would be thinking of retiring but earlier this year green-fingered genius Alan Titchmarsh signed an £11m deal with ITV to front a new gardening programme, four more seasons of his talk show and other peak time shows.

The 61-year-old star will receive £5m for fronting a new show to rival Gardeners' World - the BBC series he hosted for six years until 2002 - as well as four more seasons of his daytime talk show The Alan Titchmarsh Show.

Production company Spun Gold will get the rest of the cash in the two-year deal.

Titchmarsh was born in Ilkley in Yorkshire, the son of Bessie, a textile mill worker, and Alan Titchmarsh, Sr., a plumber. He worked as an apprentice gardener after leaving school before studying horticulture at college. He made his name as a gardening journalist with his first television appearances being on the BBC's Nationwide show as a horticulture expert.

Although still known best for his gardening expertise, Titchmarsh has gone on to have a diverse broadcasting, presenting and writing career.

Alan Titchmarsh, Charlie Dimmock and Tommy Walsh in the televisio programme Ground force

1997: In BBC series Ground Force with fellow presenters Charlie Dimmock and Tommy Walsh

Over the years he's flitted between the BBC and ITV fronting shows including Pebble Mill at One, the Chelsea Flower Show and Songs of Praise.

In 1997, he took gardening to the masses with popular BBC series, Ground Force, in which he and fellow presenters Charlie Dimmock and Tommy Walsh would perform a makeover on a garden. The show travelled as far as the US and South Africa, where one episode saw the Ground Force team makeover Nelson Mandela's garden.

Titchmarsh has also presented one-off specials of the Antiques Roadshow and The Paul O-Grady Show. Last year he co-hosted Pop Star to Opera Star with singer Myleene Klass.

Also in 2010 he agreed a lucrative deal to become the new face of B&Q. The DIY store and Titchmarsh both refused to reveal how much he was paid by the company but the deal saw the BBC come under attack. At the time Titchmarsh was presenting gardening shows for the BBC and his endorsement of B&Q was viewed by some as a commercial conflict of interests.

As well as his TV work, Titchmarsh has written over 40 gardening books, three biographies and seven works of fiction. A book deal with BBC Worldwide back in 2000 saw him earn more than £1m for just three books about gardening. In 2009 alone he sold £1.7million worth of books.

Alan Titchmarsh and his wife Alison

Married man: With his wife Alison; they have two children

An unlikely sex symbol Titchmarsh has a wax statue at Madame Tussaud's. It was revealed on the TV panel comedy series Would I Lie To You? that his waxwork had to have its face cleaned twice a week to remove all the lipstick smudges on it.

But the ladies are out of luck as the gorgeous gardener has been married to Alison since 1975. The couple have two children and live in a £1.25m house in Alton as well as owning a flat on the Isle of Wight where they keep their boat.

Awarded the MBE for services to horticulture and broadcasting in 2000, Titchmarsh is trustee of his own charity, 'Gardens For Schools', and others, including 'Seeds For Africa'.

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