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Privacy NoticeGardening icon Alan Titchmarsh revealed the huge risk he once took for the love of his career, confessing he warned his wife of tough times ahead as he embarked on a freelancing journey. “I decided in 1980 that I’d go freelance,” he told James O’Brien’s Full Disclosure podcast, sharing the leap of faith he made despite having a baby on the horizon and leaving a secure job behind. Titchmarsh traced his roots to his educational days at Kew Gardens, before diving into journalism, expressing his fear of getting too comfortable which led him to abandon his stable magazine role for the unpredictable waters of broadcasting. Opening up about the stark warning he gave his spouse Alison, he recalled saying: “I warned Alison that my income would probably halve in the first year.” Yet the twist came when, contrary to his expectations, “But it doubled, totally unexpectedly,” reports the Express.
Alan Titchmarsh with his wife Alison
(Image: (Image: Getty))
Alan credited his mother-in-law as the unexpected champion of his daring move away from a reliable income, remembering her support when he told O’Brien: “The only person that said ‘good for you’ was my mother-in-law. Everybody else said ‘Ooh, are you sure?'” Sharing his driving force, Alan affirmed: “I’ve never been able to do something that wasn’t stimulating me.” Alan Titchmarsh has opened up about his decision to leave his beloved chat show, admitting he didn’t want to become complacent: “I don’t think you give of your best if you’re just plodding along.” He’s still a regular columnist for the Express and Gardeners’ World magazine, but he’s clear on his limits: “The day I find it impossible to find a current angle on it, I’ll stop.”
Alan warned his wife things might be difficult
(Image: (Image: Getty))
Alan also shared his love for the adrenaline rush of live TV, and how he’s mastered the art of smoothly wrapping up interviews. He even joked about a memorable moment with Su Pollard: “The only time I had to literally put my hand over someone’s mouth was with Su Pollard,” he said. Reflecting on his early days in television, Alan credits much of his learning to observing Frank Bough, despite his later controversies: “I learned so much on Breakfast Time and Nationwide from watching the professional presenters there. Although he’s now fallen from grace I learned so much watching Frank Bough. “He was a consummate broadcaster… I remember watching how he would change cameras the technicalities of presenting, where he looked, how he looked, how he held himself.” Alan acknowledges that these observations have become part of his own presenting style, saying: “I’m using all that stuff that he watched early on.”Story SavedYou can find this story in My Bookmarks.Or by navigating to the user icon in the top right.Follow OK! MagazineFacebookTwitterCommentMore OnChat ShowIn the News
