Alan Titchmarsh used to receive strict letters from fans who would criticise his gardening techniques. After working as a professional gardener and a horticultural journalist for years, the 76-year-old used his skills in several TV shows.

He became the face of Gardeners’ World in 1996, fronting the BBC programme until 2002 before hosting Ground Force alongside Charlie Dimmock and Tommy Walsh from 1997 to 2002.

With Alan a regular face on TV screens, it’s hardly a surprise that he often received fan mail from his admirers, but also critics. Angela Glass worked as the star’s personal assistant for two years between 1997 and 1999 after bumping into him at a parents’ meeting at their children’s school.

When Alan’s PA at the time headed to Washington for two years, his wife, Alison, asked Angela whether she would like to work for him.

Angela agreed and revealed one of her jobs was sorting through the vast amount of correspondence Alan was sent from four-year-olds to 90-year-olds.

In a previous interview with The Independent, Angela admitted one of her favourite parts of the job was “the warmth that comes through in the letters” and she detailed what kind of messages the presenter received.

She recalled: “The letters usually begin ‘Dear Alan, I hope you don’t mind my calling you Alan but I feel like you are a friend…’ People also send him presents, silk handkerchiefs from old ladies, that sort of thing – I think he brings out the mothering instinct in women regardless of their age.”

Angela continued: “We also get tongue-in-cheek letters with the words ‘You have always been a pin-up of mine’, nowadays with a PS from the husband addressed to Charlie Dimmock saying gardening took on a new meaning for him since she arrived.”

However, it wasn’t all positive as she recounted: “Of course people also write in their hundreds requesting a Ground Force make-over, but there are quite a few letters of criticism from strict gardeners who disapprove of Alan’s use of shingle or mirrors which might confuse dickie birds.

“We even got a letter from a woman claiming that she had injured herself when trying to step over her Step-Over apple tree and nearly needed the attention of a specialist.”

Angela added: “Another letter came from a man who couldn’t understand why the council wouldn’t take away his 12ft conifer which he had stuck into a wheelie bin.”