Alan Titchmarsh, 75, pays heartfelt tribute to King Charles ahead of new career move: ‘Hardest-working man I know’
Alan Titchmarsh had nothing but kind words to say about King Charles during a recent TV appearance as he discussed the monarch’s work with environmental causes.
The former Garden Force star branded the King the “hardest working man I know” in a particularly heartfelt tribute as he reflected on their decades-long friendship.
Titchmarsh shared the kind words on Thursday morning when discussing his new career venture following the launch of his very own YouTube channel.
Speaking to Dermot O’Leary and Sian Welby, Titchmarsh was asked how it felt to be awarded a CBE by Charles.
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“It was amazing, it was quite unbelievable really,” Titchmarsh said. “I’ve known the King since he was the Prince of Wales way back, but to have him stick him around my neck was really rather special.”
O’Leary asked if the moment held extra significance given the King’s continued work in the environmental sphere, even against opposition from critics in decades gone by.
Titchmarsh nodded along before he replied: “He’s a man with an enormous, enormous social conscience and also environmental conscience.
“But he also put it into practice, he doesn’t just talk about it, he does it.
“He’s the hardest-working person I know,” Titchmarsh added, before revealing he and the King engaged in “natural conversation” while he was given his CBE.
Titchmarsh marked the occasion earlier this month when he shared a snap of himself within the grounds of Windsor Castle holding his accolade.
“A glorious day at Windsor Castle. HMK on fine form. Now properly: AT CBE. What a very lucky chap,” he penned. (sic)
Inevitably, fans rushed to the post to congratulate Titchmarsh on the achievement, including a particularly poignant message from Countryfile star Matt Baker.
Elsewhere during his discussion with O’Leary and Welby on This Morning, Titchmarsh delved into his new career move and why he’s decided to move online as well as traditional TV.
“I do Instagram, but I’m adding YouTube to my portfolio,” he began. “A lot of people don’t watch gardening on telly because they can’t or the time’s not right and YouTube is such a thing now, get it when you want it, and we started Gardening with Alan Titchmarsh on Friday and we’ve got 16,000 subscribers already so we’re really quite chuffed about it.”
The legendary gardener revealed the channel would consist of “little films” full of tips and tricks that are “simple gardening for people who are scared about it”.
He added: “We’re putting a new thing out every Friday, all the old ones will still be there, and of course, you can take it with you when you’re doing job and rewind it and all that!”
Reflecting on his continued passion for broadcasting and gardening, he told the duo: “I’ve been broadcasting now since the mid-70s, so it’s a long time.
“But I’m always keen to pass on my passion and enthusiasm, and keep the magic of gardening and flowers and the countryside but to take away the mystery and make it easy to understand and join in. It’s another way of doing that, really.
“I need to pass on knowledge and care for the environment to every generation because there’s a danger with what technology is now and phones and whatnot, there’s a danger that younger people will lose contact with the great outdoors.
“They know about global warming and climate change, but they feel powerless to do anything about it, but that bit of earth… get in there, feel it, get the benefit out of it both spiritually and physically.”