Tommy Walsh, Ground Force legend and TV presenter, dies aged 69

Tommy Walsh, the presenter best known for fronting the BBC’s garden makeover show Ground Force, has died at the age of 69, it has been confirmed.

His death was confirmed by his agent Debbie Schiesser, who said in a statement: “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.”

Walsh joined Ground Force in 1997 after doing building work at the home of the show’s executive producer, who invited him to a screen test.

He presented the BBC garden makeover show alongside Alan Titchmarsh and Charlie Dimmock until 2005, when he went on to present a string of other home improvement shows, including Homes Under the Hammer and Flip That House with Tommy Walsh.

He also appeared on Lily Savage’s Blankety Blank and on the quiz show Pointless.

Most recently, he appeared on BBC makeover show Clean It, Fix It hosted by Mark Wright.

The presenter was open about his health battles over the years.

In 2002, he revealed that he had faced a cancer scare after discovering two lumps on his chest.

Those turned out to be benign, but in 2024, he revealed he had been diagnosed with a lung tumour.

Tributes have been flooding in for Walsh following the tragic news of his passing, with his football club Old Parmiterians FC writing on X (formerly Twitter): “It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of Tommy Walsh.

"A Parmiters boy, he played for the club for many years in goal but made a great career as a TV personality in shows such as Ground Force. He will be sorely missed. RIP Tommy.”

Authors

Molly Moss is a Trends Writer for Radio Times, covering the latest trends across TV, film and more. She has an MA in Newspaper Journalism and has previously written for publications including The Guardian, The Times and The Sun Online.