Alan Titchmarsh shares heartbreaking realisation after devastating family loss | TV & Radio | Showbiz & TV

Alan Titchmarsh has spoken about two tragic family losses and revealed how they ultimately led to a devastating realisation.

In a touching conversation with radio host James O'Brien in an episode of the podcast “Full Disclosure” unearthed in 2023, the popular TV gardener, 75, spoke about his parents.

Alan, best known for his work on the BBC's Gardeners' World and Ground Force, explained the extent to which his mother, who sadly passed away in 2002, played a part in his success.

He said, “Well, she was… yes, she was proud of me in the end and that was nice to know. And you realize that when you've lost both your parents…”

Before sharing his thoughts, he explained that his father died in 1986, so Alan would have been in his 30s at the time, and since his mother died in the early 2000s, he would have been in his 50s at the time.

Alan continued: “You suddenly realise there’s no one left to impress, no one to show off to, no one to be proud of, and I think that’s a huge realisation for anyone, no matter what walk of life.

“I think we all try to do the right thing for our parents in a reflective way, saying, 'Look, I did pretty well, you judged me right. You gave me the rug, you raised me to achieve what I did,' and it's not just about showing off to your parents.

“You want to give them some vindication for your life and show them that they did the right thing. I was very conscious of that when they left and I would still… I would do something and think, 'Oh, I have to call myself… oh'.”

Alan explained that this time of mourning had been “hard”, but that enough years had passed that he “didn't cry about it anymore” and that he now liked to believe that “they looked down on him”.

Earlier this month it was reported that Alan had taken a bold step into the world of freelance work in 1980, but at the time the gardening icon and his wife Alison were about to have a child.

Alan said he did not want to get too comfortable in his job at the magazine, having ventured into journalism following his time working at Kew Gardens, a botanical garden in London.

On Full Disclosure he revealed: “I warned Alison that my income would probably halve in the first year.” Ultimately, however, he was surprised: “But it doubled, completely unexpectedly.”

Alan, who currently writes for The Express and Gardeners' World Magazine, also revealed when he would give up writing, saying he would “quit” the day he found it “impossible” to find a contemporary perspective on it.