Seeds of CHANGE

SUE KENT on her first year presenting coverage of the Chelsea Flower Show, and her inspirational quest

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Three years ago, keen gardener Sue Kent came in from her greenhouse to watch Gardeners' World.

'It was during the pandemic and they were asking viewers to send in a home video of their garden.

Mine was looking pretty good, so I did,' explains Sue, as she joins TV Times for an exclusive interview.

But it wasn't just her stunning coastal garden near Swansea that impressed viewers and the BBC - it was the remarkable way she had created it almost entirely with her feet, having been born with an upper-limb disability.

'I got such amazing feedback for my can-do attitude,' says Sue, who is now a Gardeners' World presenter, a Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) ambassador for inclusivity and this year joins the BBC's team at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show.

Coverage will air on BBC1 and BBC2 across eight days, starting this Sunday with launch programme Countdown to RHS Chelsea Flower Show (6pm, BBC1).

'It's been a busy few years!' says the mum-of-two, who, here, tells us more about her new TV career and her important mission...

How are you feeling about making your Chelsea debut?

I’m excitedly nervous! I never thought I’d get this opportunity and just hope I’m good enough as I’m new to all this. But I love learning new things, so I’ve just got to give it a go!

What does the Chelsea Flower Show mean to you – are you a fan?

I am. I’ve been as a member of the public and, last year, I was made an inclusivity ambassador for the RHS, so I went and spent some time shadowing Gardeners’ World’s Adam Frost, sneaking behind the cameras to see how he did the presenting and gardening stuff he’s so good at!