Alan Titchmarsh randomly lashes out at ITV drama that ‘drives him nuts’
Alan Titchmarsh did not mince his words when it came to airing his grievances about a major ITV detective drama.
The Ground Force star, 75, complained that Grantchester ‘drive him nuts’ because the flowers look ‘awful, false and artificial.’
Alan made the criticism while interviewing actors Tessa Peake-Jones, 67, and Rishi Nair, 34, on his ITV show Love Your Weekend on Sunday.
Tessa played Mrs Chapman on Grantchester for a decade until last year, while Rishi is currently starring as vicar Alphy Kotteram in the drama.
Launching into an unexpected rant, the Love Your Garden host said: ‘There’s one thing about Grantchester that drives me nuts: it’s the blooming wisteria outside the vicarage. It’s awful. It’s false. It’s artificial. It doesn’t look real.’
A confused Tessa asked: ‘Why doesn’t it look real to you?’
Not holding back, Alan bluntly replied: ‘You can tell it’s not real.’
She countered: ‘But you’re an expert! Do you think the public can tell?’
Insisting audiences would be able to tell the wisteria was artificial, Alan continued: ‘It’s just like Bridgerton. It’s awful.’
Chiming in, Rishi said: ‘It’s not the first time we’ve heard that.’
Alan added: ‘Can you pass it on? We’ve seen series nine but you’ve finished series ten, so it’s going to be in that as well, isn’t it? Wisteria doesn’t flower all year round. It flowers generally in about May/June.’
Set in the 50s, Grantchester follows clergyman Alphy as he finds himself investigating mysterious wrongdoings with the help of detective inspector Geordie Keating, played by former Casualty star Robson Green.
The role of the detective vicar was previously played by Tom Brittney, who was reverend Will Davenport from 2019 until 2023, and James Bond favourite James Norton.
The Happy Valley actor was reverend Sidney Chambers from 2014, when the crime drama debuted, until 2019.
Meanwhile, Alan, famed for his horticultural expertise, has been a familiar face on television screens for many years, first covering the Chelsea Flower Show for the BBC in 1983.
In 1996 he began presenting BBC programme Gardeners’ World, which he fronted until 2002, with Monty Don taking over the role in 2003.
Alan also presented the garden makeover TV show Ground Force, which propelled him, Charlie Dimmock and Charlie Walsh to fame.
In 2024, he was made a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in the New Year Honours for his services to horticulture and charity, having served as the president of Perennial, formerly the Gardeners’ Royal Benevolent Society, since 2004.
He is also the president of the charity Plant Heritage, formerly known as the National Council for the Conservation of Plants and Gardens (NCCPG), whose patron is the King.
Love Your Weekend airs on Sundays from 9.30am on ITV.
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