charlie dimmock© Photo: Rex

Garden Rescue star Charlie Dimmock's surprising role in British soap revealed

The gardening expert once ventured into the world of acting

TV & Film Writer
January 19, 2022

Charlie Dimmock has been a regular face on our screens for a number of years now thanks to her presenting duties on the likes of Ground Force, Great British Garden Revival and, more recently, Garden Rescue.

MORE: Charlie Dimmock's new TV project revealed – and it's for a brilliant cause

But did you know that the gardening guru once branched out into a very different kind of TV? Keep reading to find out all about Charlie's short-lived starring role on British soap Hollyoaks

WATCH: Are you a fan of Garden Rescue?

Back in 2002, the TV gardener ventured into the world of acting with a guest appearance in the Channel 4 series. Aged 35 at the time, Charlie played herself in an episode that featured the opening of the fictional village of Chester's Jubilee Garden. 

MORE: The stern warning Charlie Dimmock was given during her Ground Force days

MORE: Garden Rescue's Harry Rich shares new photo of daughter - and she's all grown up!

Speaking about the cameo, Charlie told The Evening Standard at the time that it had been "great fun and certainly a different experience to my normal job." However, she added: "I don't think I'll be making any career changes just yet. I'll stick to what I know and love best: gardening."

© Photo: Rex

Charlie once appeared as herself on an episode of Hollyoaks

At the time, Charlie was best known for her work on Ground Force alongside Alan Titchmarsh and Tommy Walsh. The series ran from 1997 to 2005 when it came to an end, meaning that Charlie enjoyed something of a hiatus from TV before making her return with Garden Rescue in 2016. 

MORE: Garden Rescue's Charlie Dimmock reminisces on Ground Force days in rare interview

Charlie has previously opened up about her career break and explained that despite not being on TV, she was no less busy. In a rare interview with Radio Times, she was keen to set the record straight, saying: "People think that if you're suddenly not on telly, you've stopped working.

"That doesn't happen, because we all have mortgages to pay. I had been on TV a very long time, but I had always been doing other things." She continued: "Ground Force ran its course. It was of its time. It was good fun, very enjoyable, and it had its run."

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