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Alan Titchmarsh has spoken candidly about his lengthy career, expressing his gratitude for the opportunities he's had. Alan has been on television screens since 1979. He has presented

shows such as Ground Force, Gardeners' World, and the Alan Titchmarsh Show. The 76-year-old, began his media career as a gardening expert on BBC Radio 4's You and Yours and The

Today Programme. Before that he worked as an editor of gardening books before publishing his own. Alan, who grew up in Ilkley, says "many people don't realise how difficult"

it was growing up in 1950s Yorkshire. He says he had to have "realistic aspirations" for his career. After leaving school with only one O Level, he started as an apprentice

gardener at Ilkley Council, later studying at the Hertfordshire College of Agriculture and Horticulture, and working at the Royal Botanical Gardens in Kew. Speaking to Saga magazine, Alan

had a blunt assessment of his aspirations growing up. He said: "There seemed no point in having any. "So, if it all finishes tomorrow, I will have a lot to be grateful for.

I'm of an age now where not many people my age are on the box, but I'm still doing new things and I've still got my hair." Alan, who has recently expanded his online

presence with YouTube, TikTok, Facebook, and Instagram pages, expressed his desire to "give people their money's worth" and feels "blessed" to continue working in

the media. Alan recently shared that he's been reducing his workload, revealing that he no longer works on Fridays and sometimes even Mondays. Discussing his decision, he commented:

"It's the old cliché, but you can't get it back", alluding to the invaluable time with family. "My oldest grandchild has just hit 13 and you think, 'Oh crumbs!

I've got a teenager as a grandchild now'." With his wife Ali, to whom he's been married for over half a century, Alan has two daughters, Polly and Camilla, and is a

grandfather to four. Despite not anticipating such a packed schedule at his age, Alan still relishes the work opportunities that come his way. The much-loved television gardener will be

gracing our screens again this week with Love Your Weekend with Alan Titchmarsh. Scheduled for 9.30am on ITV One, the show will feature guests Anita Dobson, Tom Allen, and Amol Rajan.

Camilla Bassett-Smith, a fellow gardening enthusiast, will give us a glimpse into her summer diary, while updates from the brown bears at Jimmy's Farm are also on the agenda. Andy

Clarke will be on hand to talk about the top tipples and snacks for the festival season.