Alan Titchmarsh has opened up about the emotional decision to sell his £4million Hampshire farmhouse, which he has shared with his wife Alison for more than two decades
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Alan Titchmarsh (Image: ITV)
Alan Titchmarsh has opened up about the heart-wrenching decision to part with his £4 million Hampshire farmhouse, revealing that it was his daughters who ultimately encouraged him to embrace this new chapter. The beloved broadcaster and gardening expert, who has called the Grade II-listed property home for over two decades, admitted that saying goodbye to the residence and garden he lovingly restored has been “a wrench” — though one he is now facing with optimism.
Titchmarsh initially settled into the Georgian farmhouse with his wife, Alison, 23 years ago, transforming the four-acre site into a quintessentially English sanctuary. Over the years, the house and its grounds became the backdrop to some of the family’s most cherished memories: endless gardening projects, family celebrations, and watching his grandchildren grow up running through the meadows he carefully cultivated.
For someone whose professional life has revolved around a passion for nature and domesticity, leaving the property was always going to be difficult.
“So why go? Well… it’s time,” he penned in BBC Gardeners’ World. “Time for a new challenge. Time to downsize — a little — as those of us of relatively senior years are regularly told would be wise to do.”
Titchmarsh and his wife listed their Holybourne home in September for £3.95 million. The pair acquired the Grade II-listed Georgian manor in 2002, reports the Express.
While he emphasises that he hadn’t been eager to move, age and practicality eventually became factors. Maintaining a historic property and its extensive grounds is no easy task, even for a renowned gardening expert.
He confessed: “To be honest, we had no plans to move. When you restore an old house and make a garden around it, you pour so much of your heart and soul into it that moving on is bound to be a wrench.”
The couple had devotedly restored the farmhouse over many years, ensuring every room and corner of the garden reflected their dedication, taste, and vision. Yet despite his ongoing energy and reluctance to “believe what the numbers tell me,” Titchmarsh recognised it was wise to plan ahead.
“When you are knocking on a bit (which I refuse to believe, despite what the numbers tell me) age puts one’s muse on the future — a future which I hope will be long and fulfilling,” he said. “Looking after four acres and a Grade II-listed house has been — and still is — a treat beyond measure, but the day will come when it starts to be overwhelming and I’d rather move on to fresh pastures before that becomes the case.”
Ultimately, it was their daughters who found the home that would become the couple’s new residence. The property, strikingly different from the old farmhouse, offered a refreshing contrast: “Long, low, modern — a complete contrast to a Georgian farmhouse.”
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Even so, Titchmarsh admitted he struggled with the choice.
“After making the decision, I hummed and haa-ed about the wisdom of it all. But once sound reasoning convinced me this was not giving in and winding down, but simply taking on a new challenge — a challenge that was do-able in the long term — the apprehension was replaced by excitement.”
Alex Bowen has candidly opened up on losing his best friend to suicide and explained his friends now go to to ensure they are checking in on each other
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Alex Bowen and late friend, Joe Richards(Image: INSTAGRAM)
It was supposed to be the happiest year of his life, but in 2022, Alex Bowen’s world was turned upside down when he lost his best friend, Joe, to suicide.
The star – who had welcomed son Abel with wife Olivia just five months earlier – described the grieving process as one of the hardest things he’d ever been through. “My friend was obviously in a terrible place,” he tells New Magazine.
“I’ve never lost anyone before, especially in that kind of way, so it was really, really shocking to me. When I found out, I went on a two-hour walk, just over the fields at the back. I literally just dropped my phone and left. We had just had our son at the time as well. When I came back, I started drinking.”
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Fortunately, Alex was quick to realise that turning to alcohol wouldn’t help him process his grief. Instead, he threw himself into raising money and awareness for men’s mental health.
“Obviously, it was all so fresh, but I thought, I don’t need to go down that road. And instantly I just thought, I need to do something,” Alex explains. “The best thing for men to do is to just open up, but I feel like there’s always been a stigma. We all have lads’ group chats where we all rip each other and say bad things to each other, and that’s kind of therapy. But that’s not always going to work.
“Me and my friends double message. So we’ll be like, ‘Are you OK?’ Then ask, ‘Are you really OK?’ It gives you the option to open up or not. “I’ve got two kids now, I’ve got my wife. I feel like I’m happy. But even people who are doing well in life and have all this money still have bad days. We’re all human.”
Since coupling up in the Love Island villa back in 2016, life for Alex, 34, and Olivia, 31, has been a whirlwind. But amongst all the lucrative brand deals, glitzy red-carpet events and TV projects – the pair recently starred in another fly-on-the-wall show for ITV, Olivia & Alex: Parenthood – Alex has realised it’s the simple things which keep him feeling his best. It’s what spurred him on to return to his love of fitness, and he now runs an online coaching business.
“It might not work for everyone but I’ve realised that if I don’t have a routine, my mind just wanders and I’m all over the place,” he says. And staying healthy – both mentally and physically – is more important than ever now Alex has his hands full with two littles ones. His son is now three, and in August, Abel became a big brother to Siena.
Olivia’s second pregnancy didn’t come without its challenges. Speaking on Loose Women, the couple shared their heartbreak at losing one of their twins eight weeks into the pregnancy.
Olivia said she was “numb” when she found out, while Alex said the loss hit him “really hard”. “I took myself to the bathroom to cry because I could see how much pain [Olivia] was in,” he said.
Olivia went on to give birth to Siena, but she was admitted for an emergency caesarean section and lost 2.8 litres of blood in the process. The couple say the grief has made them stronger. “We’re not quitters. When times are tough, we just work through them,” Alex said.
While Alex admits “there’s no handbook” to parenting and it’s about learning “on the job”, he’s determined that his son will grow up in a world where talking about his mental health is a natural part of everyday conversation.
“I want him to be able to open up to me as he grows older, to know that he’s always got a safe space,” Alex says. “To me, being a man is all different things rolled into one. It’s showing strength, but you can show strength from showing weakness. If you’re struggling, you can ask for help, and it doesn’t mean you’re less of a man to do so.”
That said, Alex understandably has his concerns about the impact of social media on his kids – especially after navigating the highs and lows of the tool over the last decade.
“What’s scary is how kids are with each other. I feel like it’s down to social media. Kids are given phones at such a young age – we don’t let kids be kids any more,” he reflects.
“I deleted X and everything else because I don’t really like looking at it. I kind of block it out. I’m just sick of seeing it. Over the years, I’d get 100 good comments, but I’d always focus on the one bad one. I was always quite skinny growing up and always struggled with how I looked.
“When I came out of [Love Island], I did all these appearances at clubs and was drinking all the time. I was getting messages and comments saying, ‘Oh, you look really ill.’ It really affected me.
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“But now I’m getting older, I just think that person doesn’t know me as a person, or they’re dealing with something, or just not a nice person. I feel like I’ve matured a little bit in that sense, where I don’t really care. There are bigger things to worry about.”
If you’re struggling and need someone to talk to, call Samaritans for free, any time, day or night, on 116 123
The Prince and Princess of Wales have taken on a sweet tradition started by the late Queen and according to a royal expert, treat their staff ‘like family’
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Kate and William took on the late Queen’s tradition for her staff(Image: Getty Images)
With all their wealth and status, giving back to those less fortunate over the festive season has become increasingly important to the senior royals. “ Christmas is an opportunity for the family to turn the spotlight on the most vulnerable sectors of society,” says royal broadcaster Katie Nicholl. “It’s something they do every day of their working lives, but the festive period is a time they can really showcase it. It’s an important time to recognise the work of the charities and causes they support, as well as the people who work within them.”
With the rising cost of living continuing to burden households, the work of the King Charles III Charitable Fund has rarely felt so vital – especially at Christmas. Central to the charity is his Coronation Food Project, launched on Charles’s 75th birthday in November 2023 with the aim of reducing food waste across Britain.
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The project works with farmers and supermarkets including Sainsbury’s, Tesco and Asda, plus food manufacturers, to divert food that would otherwise be thrown away and deliver it to communities in need. In its first year, it saved 940 tonnes of surplus food – enough for more than two million meals – and raised £15 million to establish food hubs and distribute grants to frontline charities. Last November, Charles said the success of the project brought him “genuine joy” after a “challenging year” of health issues.
While the Coronation Food Project represents the new face of royal benevolence, the family maintain more familiar traditions in the season of goodwill, too. Each year the Sandringham Estate donates firs and spruces to decorate Westminster Abbey, St Paul’s Cathedral and Canongate Kirk in Edinburgh.
Local schools and churches near Sandringham also receive trees – a custom dating back to Queen Victoria’s husband Prince Albert who arranged for Christmas trees to be gifted to schools and army barracks.
Supporting children’s charities is another established part of the season. Each year at Clarence House, Queen Camilla welcomes youngsters from two charities to help decorate one of the royal trees.
They are usually invited from Helen & Douglas House, a hospice for terminally ill children, and Roald Dahl’s Marvellous Children’s Charity, which provides specialist nurses for children with serious illnesses.
“It’s one of the loveliest royal engagements of the year,” says royal commentator Richard Palmer. “It’s become a real tradition and there’s always such a warm atmosphere at Clarence House. You can see how much it means to Camilla to support children with life-limiting illnesses and their families, and she is a great host.”
In December, the Princess of Wales will once again host her Together At Christmas carol service at Westminster Abbey. First held during the pandemic, it has become a key fixture of the royal calendar, honouring unsung heroes like volunteers, key workers and community champions through carols sung by candlelight and special readings.
“It’s Kate’s way of paying tribute to the various charities she works with and the causes she champions,” says Richard. “It allows her to let the nation know about some of the issues she thinks are really important.”
Kate has also been keen to support baby banks in the past, particularly at Christmas. During a visit to Barnet in north London in November 2023, she helped volunteers organise a Christmas grotto of gifts, personally donating 50 copies of the classic book, The Owl Who Was Afraid Of The Dark by Jill Tomlinson.
Prince William usually turns his attention to homeless charities in the Christmas run-up – some 30 years after first being inspired by his mother, Princess Diana. On a visit last December to The Passage, a shelter in central London, he donned a white apron and grabbed a large spoon to help serve Christmas lunch.
Festive giving is not limited to the public, and William and Kate are reported to treat their staff “like family” at Christmas. “They normally throw a party for their staff at a nice restaurant in London,” says Richard.
“And Queen Elizabeth used to take her closest staff to the Goring Hotel for lunch – people like her personal dresser and those providing domestic support.” In the past, the late Queen would famously also distribute 1,500 Christmas puddings to staff, which in later years came from Tesco’s Finest range.
These days, the family still like to recognise their staff during the festive season. “Usually there’s some sort of staff Christmas bash, where they all line up and get presents from the monarch,” adds Richard.
Employees who have served at least a year can typically expect to receive a gift token or book voucher, while the King has reportedly also kept alive a Highgrove tradition of slipping small presents into staff lockers. According to former butler Grant Harrold, these have included tins of salmon, salt and pepper grinders, teacups and whisky glasses.
Elsewhere within the family, the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh have become increasingly visible at Christmas, too. In December 2023, Sophie joined 200 Ukrainian refugees for a Christmas party at The Lighthouse charity in Surrey, serving lunch and trying her hand at face painting.
And as Patron of Wellbeing of Women and Shooting Star Children’s Hospices, she attended events last year tied to the Big Give’s Christmas Challenge, which raised a record-breaking £44.7million in 2024.
Just as willing to get stuck in, Prince Edward took part in Cash for Kids NI’s Mission Christmas last December, helping wrap presents for children who might otherwise wake up on Christmas morning with nothing to open.
Edward and Sophie have also hosted Christmas charity dinners at their Bagshot Park home in the past. “The Edinburghs have become key players in the royal family and are so important nowadays,” says Richard.
“There was a time when senior royal sources thought there might not be a role for them, but that has all changed. When the King was initially diagnosed with cancer and while William was looking after his family during Kate’s treatment, they really came to the fore.
“It seems clear that when William becomes king, he’ll have a lot of time for Edward and Sophie, too. They will have prominent roles in an even smaller group of working royals than we’ve got now.”
Though they have often faced accusations of aloofness and being removed from real life, the modern royals certainly seem committed to showing the nation that they care. And at this time of year, their small acts of kindness could not be more welcome.
The Duchess of Sussex made a brief remark about her past Christmases in the UK in her new Netflix special, with Prince Harry showing his unwavering support for his wife’s new career after leaving their royal lives
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Prince Harry and Meghan Markle (Image: Getty)
Meghan Markle let show her true feelings about one major aspect of her royal life in her new Christmas-themed Netflix special, with many royal watchers pointing out her candid admission.
The Duchess of Sussex’s holiday programme premiered on the streaming site earlier this week, showing Meghan being joined by a host of celebrity guests as they indulged in festive-themed crafts and cooking to celebrate the Christmas season. When taking part in crafting Christmas crackers from scratch, Meghan made a candid reference to her brief time living in the UK when she was a working royal alongside her husband Prince Harry.
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While Meghan’s days as a royal are far behind her, she admitted in the show that each year she draws inspiration from one major experience from celebrating the festive season in the UK.
She spent two Christmases at Sandringham in 2017 and 2018 – and as she welcomes restaurateur Will Guidara, she tells him they are going to make their own personalised Christmas crackers.
Will, who is more unfamiliar with crackers, asks Meghan about their significance. And she reflects: “Living in the UK, it’s a big part of the culture for sure. Typically, people cross their arms and do it. So they sit around the table and they all pull at the same time. The way that I started to know them was, they’d always have some sort of fortune cookie-size joke or riddle. And something sweet.”
While Meghan has often referenced parts of her royal life that she found to be challenging, former BBC royal correspondent Jennie Bond told the Mirror that the Duchess’ admission goes to show that she experienced some fond memories while she was a working royal.
Jennie said: “It’s nice to hear her reminisce quite fondly about at least part of her time in the UK. I don’t think she’s sending out any particular message by talking about Christmas crackers at the dinner table, but it’s good to know that there were at least moments in her life as part of the royal family that she enjoyed.”
Prince Harry also made a special cameo in the Christmas-themed episode – his longest appearance in any of Meghan’s Netflix programmes – joining in to make playful jokes about his wife’s cooking.
Near the end of the episode, Harry appears as Meghan prepares festive-themed dishes with Top Chef judge Tom. He tells the Duchess how it has become a tradition in his family on Christmas Eve to make a special salad containing beetroot, black olives and fennel.
Meghan chuckles as she reveals they are all flavours she loves but rarely eats, as all of those foods are a turn-off for Harry. And just as they put the finishing touches to the dish, which also contains anchovies and pickled vegetables, Harry turns up in the kitchen, greeting her with a kiss.
Meghan also cooks up gumbo, which she reveals has become a tradition for her mum Doria, to cook for the family on Christmas Eve. After being served and trying the dish, Harry proclaimed: “It is delicious, I’m not so sure it’s as good as your mum’s, but it’s certainly close.” To which, Meghan shouts: “What!” as Harry giggles. Meghan says: “My mom will love you for that. What a good thing to say about your mother-in-law.”
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And according to Jennie Bond, Harry’s brief but candid appearance in the programme shows his unwavering support and pride for the career Meghan has carved for herself since the couple left the Royal Family in 2020.
Jennie said: “I think it would be rather odd if Harry hadn’t made an appearance in a show that’s all about family and fun at Christmas. He only shows up briefly, but I think it’s an indication that he’s fully supportive of Meghan‘s new career and proud of what she’s achieved. I don’t imagine she had to work too hard to persuade him to take a cameo role, as they still strike me as a very happily married couple who want to support one another.”
Inter Miami’s 3-1 MLS Cup victory capped an 11-year journey for owner David Beckham, with Lionel Messi playing a key role, but eldest son Brooklyn was missing from family celebrations
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While his family rejoiced on the pitch and in the owner’s box, Brooklyn was nowehere to be seen(Image: ISI Photos via Getty Images)
David Beckham’s decade-long dream for Inter Miami to conquer American football finally came true when the club clinched the MLS Cup on Saturday, marking a milestone that the owner has been striving for since February 2014.
That was the day Major League Soccer revealed Beckham had exercised his option to buy an expansion franchise for $25 million, initiating a project that would metamorphose Miami into one of the league’s most globally recognised brands.
This weekend’s triumph, a 3-1 victory over the Vancouver Whitecaps, culminated in Beckham making a spot-on remark about Lionel Messi. This marked the end of an 11-year journey since Beckham first exercised his $25 million option to purchase an MLS expansion team and symbolised the pinnacle of Beckham’s career post-retirement from playing.
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With Messi masterminding crucial moments from midfield and assisting multiple goals, Inter Miami completed its lengthy ascent from league newcomer to MLS champion.
The symmetry was perfect: Messi, who altered the course of the club when he joined in 2023, played a pivotal role in the final, while Beckham, the league’s original global icon, now stood as a victorious owner, reports the Mirror US.
Miami’s win followed earlier trophies under Messi, including a Leagues Cup, Supporters’ Shield and Eastern Conference title, but this was the trophy Beckham coveted the most.
The celebratory snaps were just as many had anticipated: Beckham hoisting the trophy high, with Victoria Beckham standing proudly by his side, accompanied by their sons Romeo and Cruz and daughter Harper.
The ex-Spice Girl appeared moved, and the couple posed together, their smiles reflecting the personal significance of this moment after over a decade of investment, negotiation, and public scrutiny.
However, there was an uncomfortable undercurrent. Their eldest son, Brooklyn, was absent once again, as he has been in several recent public Beckham family moments.
While his family rejoiced on the pitch and in the owner’s box, Brooklyn instead shared a cooking video on Instagram, demonstrating how to make French onion soup.
This mirrors previous no-shows, including his absence from his father’s knighthood ceremony and missing Beckham’s recent significant birthday celebration.
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His continued absence is fuelling rumours of familial tension. Reports of a rift involving Brooklyn’s wife, Nicola Peltz, have been swirling for months, and public appearances together have been noticeably scarce.
Even when Cruz recently shared a throwback photo of himself with his brothers and father, Brooklyn still did not publicly join the family on this milestone night.
The One Direction star died at the age of 31 after falling from a hotel balcony in Argentina, following his death Simon Cowell faced criticism for his TV talent shows
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Simon Cowell has been reflecting on Liam Payne’s tragic passing(Image: BANG Showbiz)
Simon Cowell has dismissed any feelings of “guilt” over the tragic death of One Direction’s Liam Payne.
The pop star, who was just 31, tragically lost his life last year after a fall from a hotel balcony in Argentina. In the aftermath, Cowell faced criticism for his TV talent shows, but he has defended himself in an interview with the Daily Mail.
Simon shared: “Not guilty. When I eventually met with his parents a few months afterwards, obviously we talked about this. Both his mum and dad said to me that music was Liam’s passion. His proudest moment was getting through The X Factor the second time.
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“The fact he came back said a lot about him. So I don’t know what the answer to that question is.
“I don’t feel guilt, because you can’t guess somebody’s destiny. You just can’t. All I know is he was immensely proud about what he’d achieved. It meant a lot to him. He really wanted to be well-known and successful. And I think being in the band was the best thing for him.”
Cowell also revealed the heart-wrenching moment he discovered the news of Liam’s passing while working on Britain’s Got Talent.
The 66 year old star remembered: “I was in Blackpool filming Britain’s Got Talent. Somebody who works with me came into my room. As soon as I saw her face, I could see she was upset. Nothing has affected me like that since I lost my mum and dad. I remember how that felt and this was not far off.
“I couldn’t believe it. All I remember was saying, ‘I’ve got to speak to his parents.’ I managed to speak to them, thank God. Immediately.”
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Cowell shared: “(It was) just horrific. I put myself in their position. They were in pieces. I was in pieces. I just said, ‘Look, we’ve just got to be there for each other.'”. Simon revealed that he sought solace in a “private place”, away from his fiancée Lauren Silverman and their 11 year old son Eric, after Liam’s tragic demise.
He expressed: “I’ve got to just go away somewhere on my own for a few days. A private place. Like a retreat, where I was able to switch off. I just sort of meditated and thought about things, because I was so upset. Then you have to come back to your life again.”
