Alan Titchmarsh's health woes from 'invisible' issue to 'fears of dying' after tragedy

Alan Titchmarsh recently revealed that he has no intentions of retiring, and expressed eagerness to continue working for as long as physically possible. However, while the 76-year-old remains youthful in spirit, he's candidly discussed his health anxieties and the challenges he's encountered throughout the years.

As he graces television screens again today for his ITV programme Love Your Garden with Alan Titchmarsh, where he will be joined by actress Dame Sheila Hancock and actor Jeremy Swift, we examine the gardener's health revelations and how he's conquered his difficulties.

The horticulturalist has previously voiced worries about dying "at a relatively young age" after the trgaedy of his father's death at 62. Speaking previously to Yours Magazine, he revealed: "The thing is, the men in my family have had a tendency to die from heart disease at a relatively young age. My dad, for instance, died suddenly in 1986 from a heart attack, aged just 62."

Following medical guidance for his own wellbeing, Alan confessed in 2014 that he consumed statins daily in the hope of extending his lifespan.

"I wish I wasn't," he confessed at the time. "I don't like the thought of taking tablets every day, but I'm following my doctor's advice. He thinks it's a good idea."

More recently, he disclosed how he had succeeded in living a fulfilling life so far. He shared: "I owe everything to good luck and a following wind! I enjoy my food and drink - in moderation of course - and above all I laugh a lot. It’s worked for me."

It's no surprise that Alan suffered from knee pain for years due to his long-standing career in horticulture. In 2018, the father-of-two underwent surgery on both knees to remove damaged tissue and cartilage.

Speaking to The Mirror at the time, he said: "I had it all cleared out and they feel so much better. I've got bad knees as a result of a lot of kneeing over the years from gardening, and it has got a bit frayed in there, but I am a spring chicken again now."

More recently, he admitted that while his knees are "fine at the moment", he is conscious that he needs to be "gentle to them". Alan added: "I am just aware that I need to respect them and be gentle to them at the age of 74 - then hopefully they'll last a while longer!".

Keeping this in mind, the green-fingered star revealed that this is one of the reasons why he has declined an opportunity to appear on Strictly Come Dancing. He told Saga Magazine: "Alison [his wife] was a dance tutor and she is convinced my knees wouldn't stay the course."

Years of bending down have also led to inevitable back pain for Alan. Speaking to Wise Living Magazine in 2020, he discussed the impact of striving to make his garden "more beautiful".

"Beautifying the earth on whatever scale is the most glorious privilege," he shared. However, he confessed that he had to pay the price for that enhancement, with Alan adding: "I get a bit of backache from 60 years of gardening."

Despite this, the presenter considers himself "very lucky" to still be able to work at his age and hopes to do so while he can.

Alan has confessed to using "invisible" hearing aids, particularly while presenting. The host has previously expressed his desire to eliminate the stigma associated with the device, and has encouraged those struggling with hearing loss to "get real" and confront it.

In a conversation with Times Radio, he stated: "There's such a stigma attached to them isn't there, you know old folk with hearing aids. But, I know several young people who are having to wear hearing aids, and feel absolutely devastated by it."

After commending Love Island's Tasha Ghouri, who uses a cochlear implant, as a "beacon of hope", he proceeded to discuss his own need for a hearing aid.

"I do wear hearing aids, particularly for television, and it just crisps things up," he revealed. "They're invisible, just behind my ears. I don't mind people knowing, because the more folks [that] stand up and say, 'Oh, for goodness sake, get real - this just happens as you get a bit older,' [the better]."

Alan continued to explain that while he isn't "stone deaf", his family have noticed a change in how he processes information since wearing his hearing aid.