Alan Titchmarsh was left in tears during a highly emotional episode of Love Your Garden. The heartbreaking segment, which aired in 2017, saw Alan meet Antonio Jordan, along with his children Tyler and Amelia, who was 12 at the time of filming.
Widower's Story
Tony explained to Alan that his wife – and mother to his kids – Shelley-Ann had died a year prior from cancer, aged just 39. Alan helped transform Tony's garden while making sure Shelley-Ann's memory shone through, with Alan murmuring to Tony: "She seemed quite keen something should be done with the garden." Tony replied: "She had always wanted a nice home and that included a nice garden."
Both men ended up in tears as Alan said: "In a way what we're doing is helping you with one of Shelley's wishes that it should be done. We're very conscious of the fact that in a way she needs to be there."
Fateful Song
Tony said: "In one of her wishes she had put down that she would like a nice wooden swing in the garden, so that she is still about and in the garden." But it was a fateful song that came over the speakers when shopping for the swing with his friend Nikki – the same song that had played as Tony carried his wife's coffin into the church.
He explained: "I turned to Nikki and said, 'That's freaky'. She said, 'That's the chair, then, you've got to buy it'."
Alan's Reaction
The admission had Alan in tears as he told the camera: "It's clear that Tony still feels Shelley's loss very keenly but if we can do this garden well, the garden Shelley so wanted for the family, then we might just help them a little bit to move on, if we can get it right, that's the challenge."
By the end of the episode, Tony was thankfully impressed with his new garden space and its sweet nods to his late wife.
