Charlie Dimmock's shock affair with co-star and harrowing family tragedy

While has said she as "no regrets" about her shock affair with a co-star during her time on Ground Force, she has also opened up about a family tragedy that shook her to her core.

The expert and television presenter burst onto our screens on Ground Force, alongside and which ran between 1997 and 2005.

At the height of its popularity it drew in 12 million viewers, but the show was hit with a shocking scandal when Charlie split from her long-term partner, John Mushet, in 2001 after having an affair with microphone operator, Andy Simmons.

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Charlie previously opened up about the affair in 2002 and admitted she "doesn't see Andy anymore". "But I don't regret what happened. You wouldn't do anything if you kept worrying about what might go wrong," she said. "John and I had been together for a long time so when we split up, I relied heavily on family and close friends. I've discovered that the most difficult after-effect of the break-up is getting into another relationship."

Charlie went on to date another member of the programme's crew, sound technician Barry Smith. A few years after the split, Charlie experienced heartbreak when her mother and stepfather died in the Day Tsunami in 2004. They were on holiday in Phuket, Thailand, when the tsunami hit. Charlie did not speak about the tragedy at the time but her agent said in a statement: "It is very upsetting for her. It has been too soon for her to come to terms with it. She is coping day by day at the moment. We have promised her that we will protect her."

According to The Daily Mail, Charlie turned down any work for two years after the tragedy struck. Charlie's career has since branched off in more directions than gardening, including an acting stint when she took on a short role in the 2010 touring production of Calendar Girls. She has since returned to our screens on the makeover show Garden Rescue, alongside garden designers The Rich Brothers with whom she competes to create stunning outdoor spaces for homeowners around the country.

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