Why did Charlie Dimmock's hit BBC show Ground Force come to an end?

Charlie Dimmock rose to fame as one-third of the presenting team on the BBC gardening show, Ground Force.

The green-fingered presenter fronted the programme alongside Alan Titchmarsh and Tommy Walsh from 1997 and brought in an average of 12 million viewers at its peak. 

But in 2002, Alan decided to depart from the show and three years later, it was axed by the BBC. But why did the popular programme come to an end? 

Why was Ground Force axed by the BBC?

In 2005, Ground Force was cancelled by the BBC shortly after the government ordered the broadcaster to stop making formulaic programmes. 

The broadcaster's director-general at the time, Mark Thompson, said the show was "reaching the end of its natural life". 

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"When it arrived along with Changing Rooms they were very fresh and original shows," he said. "But it's very important when a programme is reaching the end of its natural life that you move on before it becomes tiresome to the public."

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"I think the public do get very cross when they see the BBC flogging a dead horse."

© Colin Davey

While there has been no indication that the show may return one day, even if it were to be rebooted, Charlie has said she wouldn't be involved. 

"It's all about baking these days on TV," the presenter said in an interview from 2014. "But if they did bring back Ground Force it wouldn't be with me and Tommy doing it – we're all too old!

© Will Dax/Solent News/Shutterstock

"And if you could see me now, my hair is in a tight bunch and I'm out in the garden doing compost. The whole sex symbol thing was a bit silly really."

Why did Alan Titchmarsh leave Ground Force?

In 2001, Alan Titchmarsh announced that he would be leaving the programme. In a statement, he explained that after hosting 50 shows, he decided it was time to move on. 

"When we got to 50 programmes I thought that was the time to stop, but they were desperate to carry on. I agreed to do another 16, then I'll go. That's it," he said.

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Were the Ground Force presenters friends?

Charlie Dimmock has previously spoken about the close friendships between the cast of the show. 

In an interview with Warrington Guardian back in 2016, the garden designer explained that after the first two seasons, the trio became "like family". 

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"When we first started filming we were polite to each other for the first two series but by the third series we were like family," she explained. "My main memory of Ground Force was laughing lots. It was the same team week in, week out, as well as the same production and crew. You know what it's like when you work with a team of people and you get on."