Ground Force presenter Tommy Walsh has died

Ground Force presenter Tommy Walsh has died at the age of 69 following a "long illness", his agent has confirmed.

He was best known for fronting the BBC garden makeover show from 1997 to 2005.

The broadcaster's agent, Debbie Schiesser, told the Press Association: "Tommy died peacefully after a long illness surrounded by his family. As this has only just happened, we would ask everyone to please respect the family's privacy."

Walsh, from Hackney, London, presented Ground Force alongside Alan Titchmarsh and Charlie Dimmock.

The series attracted 12 million viewers at its peak.

A builder by trade, Walsh has appeared on or presented dozens of home improvement shows, including Homes Under The Hammer and Clean It, Fix It. He ran his own property company before moving into TV.

One of his clients was a TV producer, who invited him to take a screen test which jumpstarted his on-screen career.

He was also a contestant on weight loss show Celebrity Fit Club, and appeared on Lily Savage's Blankety Blank and quiz show Pointless.

Walsh was diagnosed with throat cancer in 2022 after a doctor found a lump during a GP appointment, though he later made a full recovery.

Speaking at an event for The Swallows Head & Neck Cancer charity posted online in 2024, Walsh said doctors had discovered a "three-centimetre tumour in the lung", and said he had an emergency appointment for a CT scan the next day.

More from Sky News:
Seven dead and 114 injured in train crash near Cairo
Government considers banning under-16s from Vinted and eBay

Walsh also spoke publicly about breast cancer in men after finding two benign lumps on his chest in 2002.

He was married to his wife Marie and was a father to three children, called Charlotte, Natalie and Jonjo.

(c) Sky News 2026: Ground Force presenter Tommy Walsh has died