Alan Titchmarsh's heartbreaking end of life confession after wife's tragic realisation

Alan Titchmarsh faced a frightening medical emergency that left him fearing for his life back in 2016. The presenter, then 67, revealed how he was airlifted to Portsmouth's Queen Alexandra Hospital after collapsing in agony at his Isle of Wight home. What began as a quiet day quickly turned into a life-threatening ordeal that Titchmarsh later admitted was the most terrifying moment of his life.

Titchmarsh described the episode as "absolute agony," recalling how the pain struck without warning. At first, he thought it might simply be indigestion, but the intensity only grew. "I hoped I wasn't going to die, and I was hanging on in there, but the pain was so acute at one point I thought it might be a blessed relief," he later admitted to the Bournemouth Echo.

The broadcaster, best known for Gardeners' World, Ground Force and his long-running Chelsea Flower Show coverage, had always projected composure on screen. This time, though, he confessed he was "very frightened."

What made the incident more alarming was Titchmarsh's family history. His father had died suddenly of a heart attack in 1986 at the age of 62. The chest pain left both Alan and his wife Alison fearing the worst.

"Actually I think it frightened my wife more, because of my family history, of course. The men in my family have a tendency to die from heart disease at a relatively young age," he said.

When Alison called the emergency services, paramedics rushed him to St Mary's Hospital in Newport before arranging for an airlift across the Solent to Portsmouth.

Once at Queen Alexandra Hospital, doctors confirmed the cause was not a heart problem but gallstones. These small, hardened deposits can form in the gallbladder and, if they block ducts, trigger intense pain - often described as worse than childbirth.

Gallstones are among the most common surgical conditions, affecting thousands every year. Titchmarsh underwent surgery to have his gallbladder removed and, fortunately, made a full recovery.

"It was just one of those things and quite unglamorous, but it pulled me up short, I can tell you," he later reflected. "Thankfully, after a straightforward operation, I haven't had any more trouble."

Unusually, the episode struck after what Titchmarsh admitted was an indulgence. "I watch my weight and am careful with my diet, and it was a rare treat that day to have home-made fish and chips followed by an Easter egg," he recalled.

While a fatty diet can increase the risk of gallstones, the presenter was already taking statins to lower cholesterol and generally lived healthily. In his words, it was "just one of those things."

Only months later, Titchmarsh was back to his usual routines, filming ITV's Love Your Garden, hosting quiz show Masterpiece and even working on another novel. Friends said he was "in tip-top condition and out boating" soon after surgery.

The scare, though, gave him pause for thought. With his father's history in mind, he admitted the incident was a stark reminder of mortality. "The pain lasted and was absolute agony ... it was frightening," he said simply.