BBC star Tommy Walsh's life off-screen from cancer battle to Alan Titchmarsh feud

Builder and TV personality Tommy Walsh has been a familiar face on our screens for decades, first making his mark on Ground Force. Alongside Alan Titchmarsh and Charlie Dimmock, viewers were captivated by the transformation of gardens nationwide on the BBC series.

His television portfolio also includes home and garden makeovers in Clean It, Fix It, presenting auction properties on Homes Under the Hammer, and Flip That House with Tommy Walsh.

Now 67, the television star looks remarkably different more than 25 years after the beginning of his television career, following a cancer diagnosis and subsequent treatment. However, the star continues to grace our screens, always sporting a broad smile and ready for a bit of banter with his guests.

Born and bred in South Hackney, Walsh was educated at Parmiter's School before entering the building trade. However, it was his work as a builder at an executive producer's house that led to Walsh landing a role on the BBC's Ground Force, reports Wales Online.

Walsh was responsible for the hard landscaping of various gardening projects, but it was his larger-than-life personality and grounded humour that endeared him to audiences.

He remained with the show for its entire run, from 1997 to 2005. The series proved to be a massive success for the BBC, attracting a peak audience of 12 million viewers.

Tommy, with his expert knowledge in hard landscaping and building, took television by storm when he presented Challenge Tommy Walsh and Fix It Yourself for Discovery Real Time in 2010 before embarking on another hit show, Fix Your House for Free?

By 2021, Walsh had become a familiar face on Homes Under The Hammer, giving insights into how auction properties could be revitalised with some much-needed care and attention.

Feud with Alan Titchmarsh

As a part of the iconic Ground Force team alongside Charlie Dimmick and host Alan Titchmarsh, Tommy Walsh became synonymous with outdoor makeovers. Fans may recall a fiery moment during an episode shot in Essex in 2000, when a mishap by builder Tommy led to flower beds being blanketed in sawdust, sparking outrage from a typically composed Alan.

"Call me picky if you like but I like my Ground Force gardens to be pristine when we finish them," remarked Alan at that time, adding, "I do not get a thrill from seeing them covered in dandruff."

While tensions rose, with both Tommy and Alan feeling the strain and Charlie Dimmock focusing on her water features instead of the tiff, they eventually resolved their differences.

"For a while, it did get a bit hairy," Tommy admitted. "But when we'd both calmed down we actually kissed (yes) and made up. What made me cross was that I was working flat out to get everything ready and here was Alan moaning about a bit of stray sawdust."

The two managed to move past the incident, maintaining a friendship over the years despite their careers taking them on different paths.

Alan Titchmarsh, the beloved gardening expert, has since flourished in a variety of other television roles including presenting gigs on "Britain's Best Back Gardens," delving into heritage secrets with "Secrets of the National Trust," engaging audiences on "The Alan Titchmarsh Show," and cultivating tips on "Gardeners' World."

Battle with cancer

In a health scare that gripped his fans, TV builder Tommy Walsh shared his harrowing confrontation with throat cancer. In a compelling chat with NHS England in March 2022 to promote cancer awareness, Walsh disclosed: "I went to my GP about an unrelated issue and while I was there, he discovered this lump in my throat that he was a bit concerned about."

Walsh continued with candour about his initial diagnosis: "He said it may be nothing but that he would rather I went and got it checked and, unfortunately, it turned out to be cancerous. I had to go in straight away and have surgery to remove it. I am now fully recovered and even back playing football!"

In a heartening update to admirers everywhere, Walsh stressed the importance of vigilance regarding one's health, saying: "If something in your body doesn't feel right contact your GP practice and book an appointment. Whatever the result, the NHS is here to help."

Fast forward to the onset of 2024, Tommy Walsh has courageously announced he's undergoing sophisticated NHS treatment following the discovery of new cancer growth under his lung.

Offering reassurance and hope to all, he shared his latest cancer journey update: "My cancer came back earlier this year....they found it again under the lung."

Detailing his advanced therapeutic regimen, Walsh enlightened his followers: "So I had to have this new treatment called SABR and what it is, is radiotherapy, which targets it to an exact spot without damaging the organs around it. So they used that and it shrunk."

He remarked: "It is now not anywhere else. It is going away. Because it is shrinking, it will shrink down to nothing and disappear. I will then just have to have annual checks. It has worked for me really well."

Following his cancer treatment, combined with several lifestyle alterations, Tommy has experienced significant weight loss, looking quite distinct compared to his days on Ground Force. Back in 2002, Tommy Walsh had a brush with breast cancer when he discovered two lumps in his chest. Having a family history of the disease, with both his sister and auntie previously affected, Tommy didn't hesitate to seek medical advice.

Undergoing surgery under general anaesthesia, Tommy was understandably apprehensive about both the operation and the potential diagnosis of breast cancer. Fortuitously, the lumps proved to be benign (non-cancerous), spurring Tommy to become an ardent advocate for male breast cancer awareness.

Inside Tommy Walsh's marriage

Turning to his personal life, Tommy Walsh is blissfully wedded to Marie Walsh. The couple are parents to three children and make their home in South Hackney. Tommy first crossed paths with Marie in their decades-spanning union. Speaking to the Express, he shared: "Before my big TV break when I was 40, I led a very normal life."

"After leaving school, I apprenticed with my dad for some years before branching out independently. It was at the age of 20 that I encountered my future spouse, Marie, and was struck by Cupid's arrow. Fast forward to my thirties, and I was a builder much in demand."

Marie generally keeps a low profile, but has been seen accompanying him at several events. Besides his television career, he also operates his own construction company.