Tommy Walsh obituary: The builder turned TV star who worked with Nelson Mandela
Tommy Walsh, who has died at 69, was a gardener and tradesman best known for fronting the BBC makeover show Ground Force from 1997 to 2005.
Walsh, from Hackney, London, presented the series alongside Alan Titchmarsh and Charlie Dimmock.
At its peak it attracted 12 million viewers and highlights included a makeover of the water feature and pergola in the garden of Nelson Mandela in South Africa.
Walsh, a builder by trade, was trained in the business by his father, James, and ran his own property firm before his television career.
One of his clients was TV producer Carol Haslam, who invited him to a screen test which kickstarted a life in front of the camera.
Among the other home improvement shows he presented were Homes Under The Hammer and Clean It, Fix It.
He was also a contestant on weight loss show Celebrity Fit Club, and appeared on Lily Savage’s Blankety Blank and quiz show Pointless.
Walsh produced several DIY books, the first of which, DIY Survival, topped the UK’s bestseller list. He was also the voice of several series of TV commercials.
Early last year Walsh said doctors had discovered a three-centimetre tumour in his lung.
He was also diagnosed with throat cancer in 2022 after a lump was found during a GP appointment.
He was married to Marie Farrell, whom he met in 1986, and was a father to three children: Charlotte, Natalie and Jonjo.