charlie dimmock is back on screens today with a repeat episode of Garden Rescue. The return comes after years away from the limelight following the deaths of her mother, Sue, and stepfather, Rob, in the 2004 tsunami.
Garden Rescue at 5.15pm
The episode airs at 5.15pm on One and shows Dimmock with the team attempting to create a rose garden with full access for Val and Mike in Billericay. It puts her back in front of viewers on a programme she has fronted since 2016, after first becoming widely known through Groundforce with Alan Titchmarsh and Tommy Walsh.
2004 and the long absence
Sue was 59 when she died and Robert was 58. The tsunami struck Thailand's shores in 2004, killed 5,400 people and included 2,000 foreign tourists among the dead. Dimmock did not speak publicly about the incident at the time and turned down work commitments for several years while she came to terms with the loss.
From Groundforce to today
Groundforce attracted more than 12 million viewers at its height and ran successfully until 2005, which helps explain why Dimmock's return still lands as television news rather than routine scheduling. The practical takeaway for viewers is simple: she is back on air today, but the episode is a repeat, and the long break behind it gives this broadcast its weight.
