Inside Gardeners' World Frances Tophill's life: health battle, first home and day job
04.05.2024 - 12:59
/ dailyrecord.co.uk
Those with green fingers all over the country will know the familiar face of Frances Tophill, presenter of BBC Gardeners' World since 2016.
But in her life away from the screens, she has a little-known day job as well as surprising links to Gogglebox stars and even a hidden health battle that she has been facing for years.
The presenter kickstarted her career in television after having no previous experience while she was still studying at university. And since she had a keen interest in gardening, she got in touch with Alan Titchmarsh's Love Your Garden on ITV, which she then went on to star in.
Since then, she's also appeared in Grow Your Own At Home With Alan Titchmarsh and Eat, Grow, Love, as well as writing five books about gardening, Birmingham Live reports.
Here's a closer look into what she gets up to when she isn't giving us gardening tips on TV.
Aside from presenting Gardener's World, Frances has another day-to-day job that also allows her to show off her gardening skills.
She works as head gardener at Devon’s Sharpham Trust Gardens, and has said that she enjoys keeping busy.
“I have always struggled with just being a TV presenter,” she explained. “I don’t feel it’s authentic and I don’t get to do the thing I love which is working outside and being with people on my own terms without there being a camera in my face.
“I am always keen to make sure I am working for real as well. I have to book holidays when I want to go away for filming. But Gardeners’ World has been very accommodating.”
Frances's first gardening job was for none other than Gogglebox reality Steph and Dom. She was an apprentice gardener at their manor house in Kent called Salutation, home to award-winning gardens.
Frances explained: "I’d left school