14 April 2024 , 14:50
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As a member of the legendary Ground Force team, Charlie Dimmock inspired Brits up and down the country with her green-fingered abilities.
The talented gardener built a name for herself on the hit gardening makeover show, which ran from 1997 until 2005, alongside fellow presenters Alan Titchmarsh and Tommy Walsh, wowing viewers with her water feature expertise. She also got fans talking about her refreshingly outdoorsy style, with her shock of flame-red hair, casual t-shirts, and choice to go braless quickly becoming one of the most iconic looks of the late '90s and early '00s.
Although plenty of gardening enthusiasts adored Charlie's earthy, laid-back appearance, there were those who took issue with her decision to ditch the bra - including TV heavyweight Dame Esther Rantzen. According to Charlie, now 57, Dame Esther once took her aside with an urgent warning about her braless approach to life, which she eventually took onboard.
This comes amid a cheeky confession from Charlie about her underwear, which she previously shared with the Mirror...
Charlie became a household name thanks to her work on Groundforce (Unknown)
Dame Esther Rantzen warned Charlie to put her bra back on (PA)During a 2021 interview with The Independent, Charlie, who now presents the hit BBC show Garden Rescue, recalled: "The TV presenter Esther Rantzen said to me, 'You'll be labelled the braless one for the rest of your life'. Ground Force was a long time ago, and I have to say, even now, people will bring it up. It is very silly."
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Going on to explain why exactly she opted to eschew the underwire in her younger years, Charlie continued: "It was always just for comfort. If you're swinging a sledgehammer, you want to be comfortable! People say, 'Why don't you wear a sports bra?' But those are not the comfiest things in the world."
The gardening guru previously confessed she also isn't too keen on knickers (BBC)During a 1996 interview with the Mirror, Charlie confessed that she also wasn't too keen on knickers, and believed she was 'better without' them. She revealed: "I only wear underwear if I have to get undressed in front of someone. So no bra. And no knickers either. But if I do wear knickers, they're sort of Marks and Sparks 12-14s, because I cannot abide tight knickers. I find thongs quite uncomfortable as well. So I'm better without knickers altogether."
Speaking with the Belfast Telegraph in 2016, Charlie spoke about how strange it was to suddenly be considered a sex symbol after being catapulted to fame at the age of 33. She reflected: "I was never a sex symbol before, so how could I suddenly become one? It's just a bit silly. I received a few silly letters back then, like a marriage proposal from a farmer in Australia. It was sweet, but I don't think it was serious."