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Liverpool Echo
Liverpool Echo
Entertainment
Ryan Paton

BBC Garden Rescue Charlie Dimmock's admission on Ground Force affair and personal tragedy

Charlie Dimmock is renowned for her role as a presenter of Garden Rescue.

The 56-year-old has has been transforming homes on the popular BBC programme since 2016. The popular show sees her compete with award winning designers to create stunning gardens for people across the country.

Charlie shot to fame as part of the original presenting line-up on Ground Force alongside Alan Titchmarsh and Tommy Walsh. The show ran from 1997 - 2005 and developed into a British institution that attracted audiences of over 12 million people at its peak.

READ MORE: Pete Price 'in fear of his life' after missing Jamie Webster gig

At the height of her fame in 2002, Charlie even made an appearance on an episode of Hollyoaks as she was drafted in to unveil the Jubilee Gardens. The chemistry between the Ground Force co-hosts was one of the reasons behind the show's success and Charlie said the presenters enjoyed a close relationship off-screen.

She told Hello!: "When we first started filming we were polite to each other for the first two series but by the third series we were like family. My main memory of Ground Force was laughing lots. It was the same team week in, week out, as well as the same production and crew. You know what it's like when you work with a team of people and you get on."

Charlie's time on the show was rocked by scandal as she split from long-term partner, John Mushet, after she had an affair with Ground Force microphone operator, Andy Simmons. The TV presenter has since spoken out about the affair and said she has no regrets about what happened.

She told the Daily Mail in 2002: "I don't see Andy anymore, but I don't regret what happened. You wouldn't do anything if you kept worrying about what might go wrong.

"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 Dimmock has enjoyed a successful career in television (Press Association)

Charlie's personal life was hit with tragedy in 2004 when her mum, Sue Kennedy, and stepdad Rob tragically died in the 2004 Tsunami while on the island of Phuket in Thailand.

Charlie did not speak about the incident at the time but her agent released a statement and said she was still coming to terms with the tragedy. Her agent said: "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."

After Ground Force ended in 2005, Charlie embarked a varied career presenting shows such as The Joy of Gardening and Charlie's Garden Army as well as appearing on Celebrity Masterchef in 2006. Charlie enjoyed a brief hiatus from TV roles, but has been presenting Garden Rescue for the past seven years.

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