EXCLUSIVE: Alan Titchmarsh has issued an apology in response to a claim by King Charles’ gardener, following his own recent admission about his family life
Samantha Masters Content Editor
07:00, 21 Sep 2025
Jack Stooks discovered Alan Titchmarsh’s book during a trip to Scotland(Image: Getty Images)
Jack Stooks, the former gardener for King Charles at Highgrove House, was once left disappointed when he reached out to Alan Titchmarsh and didn’t receive a reply. Jack said he contacted the former Ground Force star after he stumbled across a book from Alan and his wife’s personal library during a trip to Scotland with Grant Harold, the monarch’s ex-butler.
Taken aback by his discovery, Jack said he contacted Alan, who he had met during his stint as Charles’ gardener, but received no response.
He shared: “Weirdly, we were in Scotland once, I was in Scotland with Grant and there was a charity shop I was in, and I got a book out and I opened it, and in it was a library sticker and it said, ‘From the personal library of Alan and Alison Titchmarsh’.
“And I was like, ‘This is amazing, this has actually come out of their house’, so I wrote [to him] and said, ‘I’ve found this book’, and [I] never heard back.
“I thought he’d be like, ‘Oh my God that’s amazing, we have never had it back’, but [I] never heard back.”
Jack Stooks worked at Highgrove Gardens for over two decades(Image: Instagram)
Speaking to Reach PLC at the launch of Grant’s Royal Butler book, he added: “I don’t know [if he received the message] but I’ve still got it at home, I must look for it actually.”
When asked about Jack’s claim, Alan apologised and stated that he was unaware of Jack’s message, but hoped he enjoyed the book.
Alan’s library is said to be within the picturesque Manor Farm House in Hampshire, where he lives with his long-time wife, Alison.
Earlier this month, he announced that they had made the decision to sell their nine-bedroom property to downsize after many joyful years spent there.
In a conversation with Country Life Magazine, Alan cited being closer to their daughters and grandchildren as one of the reasons for the sale, which is currently at a guide price of £3.95 million.
Alan Titchmarsh has responded to Jack’s claim (Image: Getty Images)
Alan’s latest endeavour follows his admission about reducing his working days to prioritise family time.
The gardener now takes Fridays off, and occasionally Mondays too, but is eager to continue working for as long as he can.
In an interview with Woman’s Weekly magazine, he said of his reasons for cutting back his hours: “It’s the old cliché, but you can’t get it back”, referring to the invaluable time spent with family.
“My oldest grandchild has just hit 13 and you think, ‘Oh crumbs! I’ve got a teenager as a grandchild now’.”
Despite reducing his working hours however, Alan’s schedule remains busy with current projects including his Gardening Club series and Love Your Weekend on ITV.
In April, he also launched his new YouTube channel, Gardening with Alan Titchmarsh, where he shares practical tips, step-by-step guides, and plenty of advice for fellow gardening enthusiasts.
Love Your Weekend With Alan Titchmarsh continues today at 9.30am on ITV and ITVX.
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