For more than a decade, Charlie Dimmock and John Mushet shared a seemingly idyllic life together in the countryside – but the star’s affair brought everything crashing down.
The popular Ground Force presenter – who will be on screen for Saturday’s (October 5) Garden Rescue – and her wine-maker partner lived in a charming 17th-century cottage in Hampshire and had a bond that seemed unbreakable – until it wasn’t.
Charlie Dimmock and John Mushet
Charlie and John’s love story began in the late 1980s while working in New Zealand.
John, a wine-maker from Easter Ross, Scotland, and Charlie, then only 21, hit it off immediately. A harbour cruise led to a first kiss, and the pair quickly moved in together.
“We couldn’t keep our hands off each other. It was sensual, loving, and a wonderful sex life until her affair,” John recalled in a post-split interview.
They built a life together as they settled in Hamilton, New Zealand, before moving to the UK. They returned to Britain when Charlie’s visa expired, and set up home together. The couple’s shared life revolved around cosy moments at home and yearly holidays to destinations such as Venezuela and Australia.
John fondly remembered their six-week vacations as the highlights of their relationship. He said they loved “the simple things” such as “picking up shells on the beach and building sandcastles”.
Charlie’s Ground Force Days
Their peaceful world changed drastically when Charlie was offered a screen test for Ground Force. Her natural charm and green-thumb expertise made her an overnight sensation. However, John admitted that fame began to pull them apart.
Charlie’s rise as TV’s gardening darling came with a wave of fan adoration and media attention, especially focused on her braless appearance.
John says he didn’t mind the attention initially. “I never fell in love with her breasts. I fell in love with her very being. I always thought she was the most beautiful person in the world, inside and out.”
But as Charlie’s fame grew, so did her distance. Ground Force may have launched Charlie into stardom, but it also drove a wedge between the couple. Soon, John’s worst fears materialised when he discovered Charlie’s affair with Andrew Simmonds, a younger sound technician working on her show.
‘Broken man’
The revelation of Charlie’s infidelity devastated John, who was 40 at the time. He said he immediately left the home they shared, retreating to London to stay with friends and cut all ties with his former partner. The pain was palpable as he spoke about the affair. During the interview, he was described as “visibly crumbling” and a “broken man”.
Despite their separation, John still reminisced about their bond, recalling the intimate moments that had once defined their relationship. He remembered Valentine’s Days filled with loving gestures, such as when Charlie gave him a tomato, calling it “the fruit of love”.
Charlie Dimmock has ‘no regret’ over affair
For her part, Charlie admitted the affair but had no regrets about what had transpired. In an interview after the split, she acknowledged that things had been difficult but didn’t dwell on the past.
“I don’t see Andy any more,” she said. “But I don’t regret what happened. You wouldn’t do anything if you kept worrying about what might go wrong.”
Charlie’s reflection on her long-term relationship with John was brief. She acknowledged their 13 years together but emphasised her decision to move on. Despite her fame, she admitted feeling isolated post-breakup, relying heavily on family and friends.
As for dating again, Charlie was uncertain: “I wouldn’t go into a wine bar to look for a man. I could only really meet someone through friends.”
She focused instead on her professional life, living alone in the same Hampshire cottage she and John had once shared, working hard in her thriving TV career, and running marathons in her spare time.
Charlie reportedly dated another crew member after her breakup but has remained single since.
‘I’m very selfish’
In a 2016 interview, she told the Independent that she had no intention of getting married. “I’m way past marriage at this point. I’m going to be 50 this year. Even sharing a house with someone would be a no for me,” Charlie revealed.
“I like my own company. I like to do what I want to do, I’m very selfish like that,” she continued. “I don’t mind fitting in a bit, but I like to be able to get away and have the house to myself.”
Watch Charlie on Garden Rescue on Saturday (October 5) at 4pm on BBC One.
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