Ground Force star Tommy Walsh dies at 69 after long illness

Tommy Walsh, the building expert who co-hosted the BBC hit Ground Force, has died at the age of 69 following a long illness. His agent, Debbie Schiesser, confirmed he passed away peacefully while surrounded by his family. She asked the public to respect their privacy as the news broke.

Walsh’s path to television began in his profession as a builder in east London. He attended Parmiter’s grammar school in Bethnal Green and played football for the Old Parmiterians. He later ran his own property business before getting his big break. He was asked to restore the house of a BBC producer who was developing ideas for a new show. That project eventually became Ground Force.

Walsh initially declined the opportunity to star in the series three times. He recalled telling the BBC in 2004 that the early pilots, including one called Over the Garden Wall, were terrible and looked like watching paint dry. His mind changed when his eight-year-old daughter told him she had made a £10 bet with a boy at school that her father would appear on TV.

He joined the show alongside Alan Titchmarsh and Charlie Dimmock. The program ran from 1997 to 2005 and focused on garden makeovers. At its peak, the series attracted 12 million viewers. The team once flew to South Africa to work in secret on Nelson Mandela’s garden, where they built a pergola and a water feature.

After Ground Force ended, Walsh continued fronting property and renovation programs. He hosted Clean It, Fix It and Cowboys and Angels. In 2021, he joined Homes Under the Hammer, where he followed renovation projects and attended property auctions.

The Old Parmiterians club announced his death on X. They described him as a Parmiters boy who played in goal for many years and noted that he will be sorely missed. Walsh is survived by his wife, Marie Walsh, and their three children, Charlotte, Natalie, and Jonjo.