Garden Rescue has announced a new series, with fans being treated to two episodes a week. Charlie Dimmock and her gardening team will grace our screens again from August 31 as BBC One airs new episodes every Monday and Wednesday at 3.45pm.
Posting to Instagram, the show's official page announced: "Garden Rescue is BACK! The brand-new series returns with new episodes dropping every Monday and Wednesday, starting Monday 31st August at 3:45pm on BBC One! Get ready for amazing transformations, creative garden designs and plenty of inspiration!"
Fans delighted with announcement
Fans were delighted with the news. One commented: "Great cannot wait to see more garden transformations, I pinch ideas" as another added: "I've binged all the garden rescue I can on my mat leave, it really got me back into gardening!"
For the vast majority of viewers, Charlie needs no introduction. Born in Romsey, Hampshire, in 1970, she trained as a horticulturalist and swiftly cemented her status as one of Britain's most recognisable gardening personalities.
Ground Force fame and personal tragedy
She first captured the nation's hearts as part of the much-loved Ground Force trio alongside Alan Titchmarsh and Tommy Walsh, a show that regularly drew audiences of over 12 million viewers and ran until 2005.
However, behind her gleaming on-screen smile, the star has faced some heartbreaking tragedy and a profound grief that few could begin to imagine. In December 2004, Charlie's mother, Sue, then 59, and stepfather, Robert, then 58, were amongst the thousands of holidaymakers who perished when a catastrophic tsunami battered coastlines across Thailand and much of South-East Asia on Boxing Day.
The disaster, among the deadliest in recorded history, claimed approximately 5,400 lives in Thailand alone, including around 2,000 foreign nationals. In the immediate aftermath of the tragedy, Charlie found herself desperately waiting for news about her mother and stepfather.
Grief and return to television
Her father, Terry, spoke to the Evening Standard at the time, conveying just how distraught his daughter was, revealing that Charlie had received no information whatsoever regarding Sue and Robert, and had even contemplated flying to Thailand herself, only to be discouraged by the Foreign Office, who believed such a search would be futile.
Charlie herself remained firmly out of the public spotlight, with a spokesperson describing the situation as profoundly distressing for her and noting it was far too early for her to begin coming to terms with what had occurred. Sue and Robert, both PR consultants who resided in Romsey, Hampshire, were confirmed amongst those who lost their lives in the disaster.
In the years that followed, Charlie quietly stepped back from professional commitments, giving herself the time she needed to grieve in private. She eventually made her television return on her own terms, joining BBC One's Garden Rescue in 2016. The show sees Charlie and a team of garden designers compete to win commissions from homeowners throughout the country, blending her longstanding horticultural knowledge with an engaging, accessible format for a new generation of viewers.
