Tommy Walsh (builder)

For other people named Thomas Walsh, see Thomas Walsh (disambiguation).

Tommy Walsh (born 18 December 1956) is an English television personality, presenter and celebrity builder best known for the gardening and do-it-yourself television shows Ground Force (1997–2005) and Challenge Tommy Walsh (2002–2005).

Tommy Walsh
Walsh in 2004
Born	(1956-12-18) 18 December 1956 (age 68) South Hackney, London, UK
Occupation(s)	Broadcaster, gardener, builder
Spouse	Marie Walsh
Children	3

Biography

Educated at Parmiter's School, then a grammar school, in Bethnal Green, Walsh became a builder and first came to public attention after appearing in the BBC television gardening programme Ground Force with Alan Titchmarsh, responsible for the hard landscaping. He stayed with the show for the rest of its run, from 1997 to 2005.

Walsh had a small acting role in the film One.^[1] He has also appeared on Lily Savage's Blankety Blank.^[2]

In 2023, he was a contestant on BBC's quiz show Pointless.^[3]

Personal life

Walsh lives in South Hackney with his wife Marie and three children.^[4]

He is patron of the Stairway to Heaven Memorial Trust.^[5]

In 2002, Walsh had a benign tumour removed from his chest. In 2022, he was diagnosed with throat cancer, underwent surgery and fully recovered.^[3]

Television work

Walsh has presented several television shows, including:

• Challenge Tommy Walsh (2002–2005, with Alan Herd)
• Space Invaders
• Tommy Walsh's Eco House (2010)
• Trading Places
• Tommy's Ultimate Workshop
• Tommy's DIY Survival
• The Reclaimers
• Ground Force (1997–2005)
• Our House
• Fix Your House For Free
• Celebrity Fit Club
• Flip That House with Tommy Walsh
• My Life as a DIY Nutter (Channel 5)
• Cowboys & Angels (BBC)
• Me and my son Greg (2017)
• Homes Under the Hammer (2021–2024)
• Clean It, Fix It^[6]

Publications

• Ground Force: Practical Garden Projects (2000), BBC Books
• Ground Force: Garden Handbook (2001), BBC Books – with Alan Titchmarsh and Charlie Dimmock
• Tommy Walsh's DIY Guide (2001), Focus Multimedia Ltd – CD-ROM
• Basic DIY (2002), Collins
• DIY Survival (2002), Collins
• Bathroom DIY (2004), Collins
• Kitchen DIY (2004), Collins
• Living Spaces DIY (2004), Collins
• Outdoor DIY (2004), Collins