Gardener and broadcaster Alan Titchmarsh has spoken about the emotional moment he found out about being made a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) for services to horticulture and to charity in the New Year Honours List.
The TV star, who is best known for presenting the likes of Gardeners' World, Ground Force and Love Your Garden, exclusively told HELLO! how "there was the odd tear" as he broke the joyous news to his wife of nearly 50 years, Alison.
© Getty ImagesSpeaking from his beautifully pruned garden, he explained: "There was the odd tear. My wife was in the bathroom when I got the letter. So I went in there and said 'I've had this letter from the Cabinet Office.' And when I realized it wasn't a summons, it was quite a thrill."
Alan, who was awarded an MBE in 2000, said he was "thrilled to bits" by the honour as it "recognises horticulture as being regarded as important."
© Tony Sapiano/ShutterstockHe continued: "I never in my wildest dreams imagined that I'd ever be a CBE. It's such a grand sort of thing really, but it's really grand that it recognizes, yes, what I've done, but also an area of life which I regard as enormously important - greening up our surroundings [which is] good for both mental and physical health."
While Alan, 75, delighted in sharing the celebratory news with his wife and two daughters Polly and Camilla, he was obliged to swear them to secrecy. "I rang them. I only told my wife and my two daughters," he recalled.
"Because it says you mustn't tell anybody, and they were then sworn to secrecy. So if ever there was a danger of the conversation when we were out somewhere, veering over there, they'd say, 'Dad, dad,' I said 'I'm not saying anything.' It kind of instilled fear and panic into them, that they mustn't tell anybody until New Year's Eve."
© Getty ImagesOf collecting his CBE next year, the father-of-two said that he hopes to be joined by his wife and two daughters. "They were there when I got my MBE 25 years ago," he revealed. "Well I thought 'That's it,' you know, not 'Oh well, that's it,' I mean I was very happy to be Alan Titchmarsh MBE. It's going to be very strange for a while being Alan Titchmarsh CBE. I haven't gotten quite used to saying it yet."
While it remains unclear which royal will bestow the honour, Alan took the opportunity to praise King Charles, describing him as the "ultimate advocate for looking after the planet close to home."
© Getty ImagesHe added: "He's the ultimate advocate really, of looking after the planet close to home. For all of us, not just the bigger picture of climate change and global warming, the things that we all worry about, but the way in which we can make a difference locally, and that's really important," he said.
"That we don't get overfaced by the enormity of the issue, because here I am in my garden. We can all do our bit and it's such a delight. It keeps you fit, it is great for mental health, everybody realized that particularly I think during lockdown.
© Getty Images"There's nothing I think more important in life and more rewarding in life than being a steward of the landscape and a custodian of that little bit of earth that you've been given to look after."
