Britain’s so-called ‘kindest plumber’ received a free televised garden makeover from Alan Titchmarsh before being accused of faking good deeds to raise millions from donations.
James Anderson had the concrete-slabbed back yard of his home transformed into an ‘Ibiza-style party pad’ by Titchmarsh in his ITV show Love Your Garden last year.
The green-fingered presenter and his team installed new decking, raised plant beds, an outdoor kitchen with an oven and fridge, and a ‘chill-out’ zone with a fireplace.
The dream garden was given to Anderson as a thank-you gesture for what Titchmarsh described as his tireless work helping needy people with free plumbing jobs.
But the BBC this week accused the 56-year-old tradesman of inventing some of the distressing claims he had made on social media about elderly people he had helped.
Britain’s so-called ‘kindest plumber’ received a free televised garden makeover from Alan Titchmarsh (pictured) before being accused of faking good deeds
The bleak paved garden was transformed into a ‘Ibiza-style party pad’ complete with a state-of-the art barbecue and £1,500 pizza oven
BEFORE: James Anderson’s garden prior to a free televised garden makeover from Alan Titchmarsh
AFTER: The dream garden was given to Anderson as a thank-you gesture for what Titchmarsh described as his tireless work helping needy people with free plumbing jobs
In one shocking example, he claimed that he saved an elderly woman from suicide by fixing her heating – when in reality she had died two years previously.
The BBC investigation also raised questions about how he had spent some of the more than £2million which was donated by members of the public and celebrities including Hugh Grant and Lily Allen, to fund his work.
He was accused of splashing out some of the cash on a car and an investment property for his community interest company Depher, standing for Disabled and Elderly, Plumbing and Heating Emergency Response.
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The makeover at Anderson’s home in Burnley, Lancashire, featured in the first episode of the 13th series of Love Your Garden, screened in April last year.
Titchmarsh described him in the show as ‘a very special plumber who set up a charity to provide free services to elderly and vulnerable families in this area’.
The episode began with Titchmarsh admiring the plant beds and ornaments which the plumber had installed in his sloping front garden.
In a nod to his supposed community-minded nature, Anderson describes the front of his house as a memorial garden for local people who had died of Covid during the pandemic.
But the cameras then show Anderson’s unappealing back garden covered in concrete paving with an old shed and a wooden lean-to structure used as a sitting area.
Titchmarsh likened the neglected area to ‘a builder’s yard’ and ‘a block and brick nightmare’ which he said was ‘one of the bleakest gardens we have ever taken on’.
He told viewers that Anderson was so busy helping other people that he did not have time to look after his own property.
The makeover at Anderson’s home in Burnley, Lancashire, featured in the first episode of the 13th series of Love Your Garden, screened in April last year
The episode began with Titchmarsh admiring the plant beds and ornaments which the plumber had installed in his sloping front garden
The BBC this week accused the 56-year-old tradesman of inventing some of the distressing claims he had made on social media about elderly people he had helped
In a nod to his supposed community-minded nature, Anderson describes the front of his house as a memorial garden for local people who had died of Covid during the pandemic
The plumber in turn stated that he would love somewhere to relax and ‘interact with his family, saying that a decent garden would be better than ‘winning the lottery ten times’.
Titchmarsh promised to ‘blow him away’ by transforming his back garden from ‘a concrete plot into an Ibiza-style party pad’ with ‘clever landscaping and plenty of soothing planting’.
The presenter added: ‘This garden should be a perfect sanctuary for James to entertain, relax and recharge his batteries after his long hard days at work.’
Him and his team braved pouring rain and heavy winds as they set to work over several days to create the garden which would have cost several thousand pounds.
They installed pale grey decking with separate areas divided up for dining and outdoor cooking, as well as relaxing and entertaining, creating what Titchmarsh described as ‘an Ibiza-inspired holiday feel’ and a ‘sun kissed look’.
A lorry load of compost was delivered to Anderson’s house to fill up cladded planter beds which were filled with a variety of shrubs, flowers and trees.
The new plants included lollipop-shaped Portuguese laurels, salvia, geums, Cordyline plants, magnolia umbrella trees, forest pansy with plum coloured leaves, rock roses, white-flowered snowball trees and scented thyme and rosemary.
Anderson even had a bespoke and spacious ‘bunny villa’ built for his family’s three pet rabbits, complete with a toy bar and mixer deck to compliment the garden’s Ibiza party style.
The show also created a handmade kissing bench love seat, crafted from elm, for Anderson and his wife Barbara to enjoy romantic moments together.
The plumber appeared to choke back tears as he and his wife viewed the makeover for the first time.
He proclaimed his thanks to Titchmarsh and his team, saying: ‘I’ve never seen nothing like this. I can’t believe it… It is beautiful. Thank you very much.’
AFTER: They installed pale grey decking with separate areas divided up for dining and outdoor cooking, as well as relaxing and entertaining
AFTER: New plants included lollipop-shaped Portuguese laurels, salvia, geums, Cordyline plants, magnolia umbrella trees, forest pansy with plum coloured leaves, rock roses, white-flowered snowball trees and scented thyme and rosemary
BEFORE: Titchmarsh likened it to ‘a builder’s yard’ and ‘a block and brick nightmare’ which he said was ‘one of the bleakest gardens we have ever taken on’
As the cameras displayed the new-look garden, Titchmarsh said: ‘Just a few days ago this was a desolate backyard stuffed with redundant buildings and paved from wall to wall.
‘It was far from the romantic escape that James wanted away from the stresses and strains of his busy life.’
Titchmarsh described how the new garden would mean the couple could be ‘surrounded by leafy evergreens and warmed by a roaring fire as they gaze up at the night stars together’.
He added: ‘After so much time and effort dedicated to his local community, it was too much for James to turn his hand to his own backyard. Now we have given him a garden to say thanks for all he’s done.’
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Anderson today insisted that he fully deserved the Titchmarsh treatment and had no pangs of regret about being on the ITV show.
He told : ‘I’ve got nothing to feel guilty about. There are things coming out about the BBC investigation and how a few people have behaved online. I have complained to Ofcom about them and they are looking into it.’
Neighbours and locals were divided over the allegations, and whether he was deserving of the TV garden makeover.
Dog walker Tracy Miles, 45, said: ‘There always rumours about him being a bit dodgy and it turns out to be true. He’s not quite the hero he’s made out to be.
‘Perhaps Alan Titchmarsh should come back and rip out his garden. I hope he hasn’t upset Alan as I really like him.’
Neighbour Bill Watts, 66, said: ‘He’s still helped people and done a lot of good even though he might have told a few porkies. I think people are just jealous of him.
‘They should leave him alone – we all make mistakes.’
The BBC investigation also accused Anderson of publicising the private information of some clients without consent.
The plumber previously received a string of plaudits for his work including letters of thanks from the King and the late Queen and a Pride of Britain Award for his ‘selfless acts’.
Anderson has repeatedly publicised his good deeds in helping struggling pensioners, families and cancer patients in posts on Facebook and X in recent years.
BEFORE: The show depicted Anderson’s unappealing back garden covered in concrete paving with an old shed and a wooden lean-to structure used as a sitting area.
AFTER: The show also created a handmade kissing bench love seat, crafted from elm, for Anderson and his wife Barbara to enjoy romantic moments together
But the BBC found several posts contained misleading or false information.
One post from June 12, 2022, showed a woman with her face covered next to Mr Anderson with the caption: ‘Shared with permission. A lady, 84 years old, rang Depher UK and spoke to myself, she was upset and desperate. She lived 53 miles away in #Preston.
‘I drive as fast as I could, when I got there she had a noose ready to commit suicide. All she wanted was hot water! #costoflivingcrisis.’ The woman actually died in February 2020, the BBC said.
The woman’s daughter said the post’s claims were ‘a complete lie’ and made it seem Anderson was ‘using vulnerable people like my mother as a money-making machine’.
Anderson admitted the post was false and apologised to the family but denied putting the image online himself.
In another case, a domestic abuse victim was allegedly pictured online with her child and accused of theft despite no evidence being provided.
Anderson has also been accused of posting information about his vulnerable customers without their permission. The BBC highlighted more than 20 videos and photographs of an elderly man which included information about his sexuality. In one, the man is heard to say ‘God no’ when asked if he would agree to be filmed.
Staff at Depher also told the BBC of safety fears and an image emerged of a worker smoking while fixing a boiler that was said to have a gas leak.
Anderson told the BBC: ‘I know I’ve done it wrong. I apologise. But what can I do? I haven’t got a magic stick. I’m not Harry Potter.’ He said he had made mistakes because of a relentless campaign of ‘bullying, harassment and attacks’ by online trolls.
Social media users were quick to say how Anderson and his wife were deserving of the garden makeover after the episode was screened.
One user said: ‘Aww, James so deserved!’ Another wrote: ‘Yay!!!! @Depheruk is on Love Your Garden. So pleased a wonderful thing is being done for this wonderful man.’