Gardening icon Alan Titchmarsh has opened up about his concerns for his two daughters, Polly and Camilla, after recently breaking down in tears during an episode of his TV show
Alan Titchmarsh (Image: (Image: ITV))
Alan Titchmarsh has opened up about the “worries” he has for his two daughters, after getting emotional while discussing his family on TV.
In a recent episode of ITV’s Love Your Weekend with Alan Titchmarsh, the gardening expert chatted to guests Jenny Agutter and Renee Bailey about TV and films.
It ultimately led to a conversation about Jenny’s role as Bobbie in the 1970s family drama The Railway Children, which holds a special place in the 75-year-old presenter’s heart, particularly one scene.
They ended up watching the scene in question, which saw Bobbie getting excited about her father’s return, and it left Alan in tears.
Alan’s wife, Alison, and daughters, Polly and Camilla, decided to buy him a bench
(Image: Dave J Hogan/Getty Images)
It seems the film resonated so much with Alan that his wife, Alison, and daughters, Polly and Camilla, decided to buy him a bench for his garden inscribed with Jenny Agutter’s “Daddy, my daddy” line.
He revealed to the Times that he has to leave the room if his daughters play the film, and in a touching admission, Alan said that, despite his children now being in their forties, their names are still on the doors of their bedrooms in the family home.
Alan articulated his thoughts about parenthood in one of his 71 books: “Fathers of sons have expectations. Fathers of daughters have worries. You worry about them all the time.
“I mean, not in a paranoid way, because I delighted in their company and they’re now mums themselves and I’ve got four grandchildren. But you’re only as happy as your unhappiest child and that spreads to grandchildren as well.”
Alan revealed that he has to leave the room if his daughters play the film
(Image: Getty Images)
Alan, who posts gardening tips on Instagram, also shared his worries about certain aspects of modern technology, saying: “I do worry about social media and its impact, though.”
He added: “It can encourage introspection and become something of an obsession. I contribute to it but hopefully in a more wholesome way.”
Meanwhile, in another recent admission, the former Gardeners’ World star opened up about a specific difficulty he faces as he ages. Speaking to Best magazine, he revealed that he experiences issues owning a dog.
He explained that because he’s older and is slowing down with his work schedule, he can now be away more often, meaning it makes dog ownership “more difficult”. Despite this, Alan enjoys looking after his grandchildren’s pets.
You can catch the gardening guru today (Sunday, 23 March) when he appears on Love Your Weekend with Alan Titchmarsh on ITV, from 9.30am to 11.20am.