During a frank conversation with Jake Humphrey on Love Your Weekend, Alan Titchmarsh revealed his challenging childhood experiences. The discussion arose while the pair were discussing Jake’s anxiety and whether Alan had encountered similar issues.
Jake told the gardening guru, “We’re all comparing our real lives to other people’s edited highlights reels, and I think that’s super dangerous.
“But we all have anxieties…we always will,” Alan replied empathetically.
When Jake asked Alan if he had faced struggles over the years, Alan admitted, “Oh yes, yes. I was small at school and pushed around.
“I mean, I never told anyone. Well, my parents obviously knew,” Alan disclosed, miming crying, according to the Express.
“I’d come home, and I’d go to my room and have a bit [of a cry]. You know, it’s part of growing up, and we can’t shield children from everything. There’s no excuse for bullying at all.
“But, yeah, I was bullied, and if you can find something you love and come to terms with who you are, I was a classic late developer.
“This isn’t about me; it’s about you,” Alan modestly said, steering the conversation back to Jake, who remarked, “It is interesting.”
In another part of the programme, Joanna Page, the actress from Gavin and Stacey, recounted her own extraordinary story involving members of the Royal Family, playfully hinting: “I might get arrested.”
She reminisced about her performance in front of royalty: “I performed in front of Prince Charles and Princess Margaret in Buckingham Palace. I did As You Like It, and we went and we performed,” she recounted.
“And then afterward, I went off with the whole acting troupe, and we were in Buckingham Palace, and we had our food, so then me and another actress, Sally Hawkins, decided to go off exploring.”
Joanna admitted: “I’m not even sure I’m allowed to say this. I might get arrested or something, but we went exploring in Buckingham Palace.”
Love Your Weekend with Alan Titchmarsh returns on Sunday at 9.30am on ITV.