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Charlie Dimmock has 'no regrets' about Ground Force affair that ended 13-year relationship

The TV star had a brief fling with microphone operator Andy Simmons in 2001

charlie dimmock
Eve Crosbie
TV & Film Writer
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Gardening expert and TV presenter Charlie Dimmock has candidly opened up about the affair that ended her 13-year relationship with viticulturist John Mushet in an unearthed interview.

MORE: Garden Rescue's Charlie Dimmock speaks candidly about weight 

The couple split in 2001 after it came to light that Charlie had had a brief fling with her Ground Force colleague, microphone operator Andy Simmons. Speaking shortly after news of the relationship went public, the Garden Rescue star revealed that she had no regrets about the controversial affair but did find it difficult to come to terms with the split from her long-term partner.

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She told The Daily Mail in 2002: "I don't see Andy anymore, but I don't regret what happened. You wouldn't do anything if you kept worrying about what might go wrong."

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"John and I had been together for a long time so when we split up I relied heavily on family and close friends," she continued. "I've discovered that the most difficult after-effect of the break-up is getting into another relationship."

charlie dimmock© Photo: Rex

Charlie  had a brief fling with a microphone operator during her Ground Force days

The presenter is not thought to currently be in a relationship. She revealed back in 2014 that she was single, and it doesn't seem as though she has met anyone since then. 

Speaking in 2016, she revealed that she felt she was "way past marriage," telling The Irish Independent: "I'm going to be 50 this year. Even sharing a house with someone would be a no for me."

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She added: "I like my own company. I like to do what I want to do, I'm very selfish like that. I don't mind fitting in a bit, but I like to be able to get away and have the house to myself."

Charlie has been a household name ever since she burst on to screens on Ground Force alongside Alan Titchmarsh and Tommy Walsh, which ran between 1997 and 2005. She took a step back from public life following the tragic death of her mother and stepfather in Thailand's 2004 tsunami but returned to screens in 2016 when the BBC launched Garden Rescue. 

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