This year, gardening extraordinaire Alan Titchmarsh celebrates 50 years since he married his wife Alison.
They have two daughters together, Polly (born 1980) and Camilla (1982) and, over the years, have had many pets, including dogs, cats, ducks, goldfish, chickens and other livestock.
He’s a churchgoer, a bell ringer and has contributed to urban greening projects in the capital.
But what’s his secret? How have he and Alison managed to make their union last five decades? It’s a question he gets asked a lot, apparently.
Alan Titchmarsh on ‘the secret’ to his and Alison’s 50-year marriage
Alison and Alan Titchmarsh married on July 26, 1975, meaning they’re coming up to the 50-year mark.
As the landmark anniversary approaches, he says people ask him regularly about “the secret” to a happy marriage.
“The usual things, I suppose,” he answered in an interview with The Times late last year. “Similar values, being able to laugh at the same things. I also married someone who is very tolerant of how much I talk about gardening. I’m sure it drives her mad, but she never lets it show.
“Yes, I’m joking, but there is a serious point to be made about tolerance. Exposing yourself to different views – obviously, I’m not talking about things like out-and-out racism – is part of life.”
So, if there’s a secret, in Alan’s view, it’s three-pronged: having shared values; being able to laugh at the same things; and being willing to tolerate difference.
Where do they live?
In 2002, Alan and Alison Titchmarsh moved into a grade II listed Georgian Hampshire farmhouse, set among four acres of green land.
They also have a coastal home on the Isle of Wight, near the town of Cowes.
He told Coast Magazine in 2017 that he and Alison spend a third of their time on the island.
Alan is particularly fond of the isle’s “rolling downland” and “amazing beaches”.
He discovered his love for it in the 1990s when he and Alison would take their boat out from Chichester, down the Solent and across to the Isle of Wight.
“We’ve come to know the people well,” he says.
Coastal gardening can be challenging, but “there are various bays, harbours and creeks all around the island that are wonderful to explore”.
Love Your Weekend is on Sundays at 9.30am on ITV1.
Are you a fan of Alan’s show Love Your Weekend? You can leave us a comment on our Facebook page @EntertainmentDailyFix and let us know.