The final picture of Tommy Walsh has been revealed, showing the former Ground Force star posing at a hospice in his hometown as part of a fundraising event. The image was taken in April 2025 at St Joseph's Hospice in Hackney, London, where Tommy held a flower while helping to launch the Flowers of Celebration campaign for the organisation's annual fundraiser.
The former presenter, who hosted the BBC gardening series in the late 1990s and early 2000s alongside Alan Titchmarsh and Charlie Dimmock, died on Monday at the age of 69. His death was confirmed in a statement from his agent, Debbie Schiesser, who said: "Tommy died peacefully after a long illness surrounded by his family. As this has only just happened, we would ask everyone to please respect the family's privacy."
Health Battles and Cancer Diagnosis
In the years before his death, Tommy had endured a multitude of health problems and had battled cancer. In 2002, he discovered two lumps in his chest, but at the time the lumps proved to be non-cancerous and were successfully removed.
Two decades later, Tommy discovered his own cancer diagnosis whilst participating in a cancer awareness initiative. Following a consultation with his GP, doctors found a malignant lump in his throat which was later removed. He said at the time: "I went to my GP about an unrelated issue, and while I was there, he discovered this lump in my throat that he was a bit concerned about."
"He said it may be nothing, but that he would rather I went and got it checked, and, unfortunately, it turned out to be cancerous. I had to go in straight away and have surgery to remove it. I am now fully recovered and even back playing football!"
Lung Cancer and Treatment
However, Tommy disclosed in late 2023 that he was facing another health battle - lung cancer. He broke the news to attendees at a charity event in November, explaining that doctors had found a "three-centimetre tumour in the lung". Tommy said: "I have an emergency appointment at 9am tomorrow morning back in London. I had a chest infection, had to go to the doctor, and they sent me up to the hospital for a CT scan, and they think there's a three-centimetre tumour in the lung."
"I've tried to keep cheerful, and you've cheered me up today, and thank you for letting me reminisce and talk. I was weighing up whether or not to tell you about this, but I felt it would be unfair if I were to leave this and I didn't tell you."
In June 2024, Tommy shared some positive news, revealing that the tumour was "shrinking" due to new treatment, saying: "I am healthy." He told the Mirror: "I had to have this new treatment called SABR, and what it is is radiotherapy which targets it to an exact spot without damaging the organs around it. So they used that, and it shrank."
"It is now not anywhere else. It is going away. Because it is shrinking, it will shrink down to nothing and disappear. I will then just have to have annual checks. It has worked for me really well. The SABR treatment has worked, and I am healthy, so I have not been in any pain."
Family Life and Final TV Appearance
Tommy's wife Maria mostly stayed out of the spotlight but she occasionally appeared at showbiz events with her husband during the near-50 years they were together. Together, they are parents to Charlotte, Natalie and Jono. In giving a rare update on family life in May 2022, he told House Beautiful: "We've got quite a big garden for a London home – it's 100 foot long."
"Due to the pandemic, we had to cancel my daughter's big wedding plans. She asked me if we could do the wedding in the garden instead, so I gave it a bit of a makeover. It's a split-level garden with a terrace at the bottom."
"We had the marquee at the top on the raised area and the lower level was where we put the bar area and stools. Everything flowed so well. My daughter coming down the stairs in her wedding dress with her husband is something that will stay with me forever. It was a sensational day."
Following his rise to fame on Ground Force, Tommy went on to front Challenge Tommy Walsh, and a host of other DIY-themed titles. He competed on Celebrity Fit Club and also enjoyed a three-year stint hosting Homes Under The Hammer from 2021 until 2024. Most recently, he appeared on Clean It Fix It, which was presented by TOWIE star Mark Wright.
His final TV appearance aired just days before his death and it came in the form of an episode of Homes Under the Hammer. It was broadcast on Tuesday, November 3. During the instalment, Tommy headed to Halesowen in the West Midlands, where he had a look at an auction lot that included a "unique" and "special" property. The Grade 2 listed cottage was in need of a complete restoration.
