Laura Redpath speaks to Tommy Walsh ahead of his visit to the Scottish Home Show in Aberdeen
DID YOU ALWAYS WANT TO BE A BUILDER?
My mum had high hopes for me to be a Catholic priest, then I discovered girls and alcohol. I always enjoyed working with my dad in the building industry from when I was a little kid, so it seems to have been my destiny, and I still enjoy it today.
HOW DID YOU START OUT
First, it was working with my dad, and then I just really enjoyed the different challenges the building industry presents on a daily basis.
DID YOU EXPECT YOUR CAREER TO SHOOT YOU TO FAME?
I had no idea that I would have ended up famous at all, let alone through my work as a builder/landscaper, and I was a reluctant player in the beginning.
WHAT HAS BEEN THE HIGHLIGHT OF YOUR CAREER?
Getting up every day and enjoying going to work. Then there is, of course, that little meeting I had personally with the great man Nelson Mandela, when we Ground-Forced his garden.
HOW DID YOU BECOME INVOLVED WITH GROUND FORCE?
Obviously, you don’t think it was my wit and good looks, or you wouldn’t ask the question. In actual fact, it was down to a £10 bet my eight-year-old daughter, Charlotte, had with a boy in her class, who didn’t believe her when she told him her dad had been asked to go on TV in a new gardening show.
WHAT DO YOU MISS THE MOST ABOUT WORKING ON THE PROGRAMME?
I miss the camaraderie, the challenge and the great fun we used to have when we made the show.
WHAT HAVE YOU BEEN UP TO MOST RECENTLY?
I thought my presenting boots were hung up pretty much for good last summer. Then, out of the blue, I was asked if I would present a new show for BBC1 called Cowboys and Angels. This was the first time somebody had presented a show like this who actually knew what he was talking about, and had quite comprehensive knowledge about the subject matter. The series was shown earlier this year, and rated successfully. Then the phone started to ring with various offers and requests, and I have just finished making a pilot show for ITV1 which, hopefully, will be commissioned as a new repeatable series.
I have an ambassadorial role talking to youngsters around the country about the benefits of a vocational career, trying to give them some hope when their future doesn’t appear very rosy.
I also write quite a lot, and have some product endorsements in place, and I also do public speaking and corporate engagements, and then, of course, I also have my own building projects on the go.
WHAT WILL MAKE THE HOME SHOW A GREAT WEEKEND OUT?
The Scottish Home Show is a great day out whatever you want from it. It’s very informal, and exhibitors and Scottish Home Show staff are genuinely very helpful and interested in the public being informed, and enjoying their time at the show.
I am pleased to say that the show gets even better year on year, so come to the show and get the best advice firsthand to help you choose how to best improve your home.
The Scottish Home Show takes place at the Aberdeen Exhibition and Conference Centre from September 25-27.