Alan Titchmarsh's Channel 5 series Underdog to Superdog is set to return on February 11, where he'll be meeting Greek Harehound Mili. The pooch will be introduced to a 'mantrailing' expert who will teach her how to track down a person using an item of their clothing. Alan, a 75 year old gardener, author and broadcaster, is renowned for his work on Gardners' World, Ground Force and Love Your Garden. Born in West Riding of Yorkshire, he started his career as an apprentice gardener with Ilkley Council before studying Agriculture and Horticulture.
He then landed a job at Kew Gardens, but left in 1974 to pursue gardening journalism. His broadcasting career kicked off as a gardening expert on BBC Radio 4 You and Yours and The Today Programme in 1997, leading him to host several TV series. In March 2024, it was reported that his jeans were censored on North Korea television during an episode of Alan Titchmarsh's Garden Secrets. As jeans are seen as a symbol of western imperialism and are banned in North Korea, Alan's trousers were blurred out.
Speaking to the BBC, Alan said the news had given him "a bit of street cred". He humorously added: "It's taken me to reach the age of 74 to be regarded in the same sort of breath as Elvis Presley, Tom Jones, Rod Stewart. "You know, wearing trousers that are generally considered by those of us of a sensitive disposition to be rather too tight.". He elaborated on the situation, chuckling that he didn't see himself as a troublemaker: "I've never seen myself as a dangerous subversive imperialist - I'm generally regarded as rather cosy and pretty harmless, so actually it's given me a bit of street cred really hasn't it?".
As for his personal milestones, Alan has quite the heartwarming tale. He tied the knot with his sweetheart Alison back in 1975 after their paths crossed at an amateur dramatics group during their early twenties. The family blossomed with the arrival of two daughters, Polly in 1980 and Camilla in 1982, who have since expanded the clan, making Alan a proud grandfather. The pair enjoy the charm of their grade II listed Georgian farmhouse nestled in Hampshire and also boast a seaside retreat near Cowes on the Isle of Wight.
