Britain's favourite gardener has been transformed into its greatest literary heart-throb, after Alan Titchmarsh took on the role of Mr Darcy for a new photoshoot.
The brooding hunk from the novel Pride And Prejudice was previously immortalised by Colin Firth in the BBC version of Jane Austen's classic. The scene where Colin emerged soaking wet from a lake, as love interest Elizabeth Bennett looked on, set hearts aflutter all across the UK.
But now the character has been brought to life by a very different star. In the pictures, Alan appears with Goodness Gracious Me's Meera Syal in a recreation of the memorable moment. The pair took part in the photoshoot to help promote the Big Read, BBC's search for the nation's favourite book.
The inimitable Mr Titchmarsh has become an unlikely sex symbol thanks to his gardening show Ground Force. Indeed, the 54-year-old has twice come runner-up in polls for the world's sexiest man. On one occasion he lost out to George Clooney, while he was outvoted by David Beckham in the other.
And when he was presented with an MBE by the Queen, Her Majesty told him: "You bring a lot of pleasure to a lot of ladies."
Photo: © Alphapress.com
