Alan Titchmarsh on Nigel Farage: 'He's saying what a lot of politicians are frightened of saying'

The gardening personality shows his support for Ukip

Titchmarsh compares himself to Mole in Wind in the Willows: 'A man of the soil, rather shy and sometimes solitary' (Rex Features)

Alan Titchmarsh is a fan of Nigel Farage and dislikes Labour’s mansion tax.

He says that he has “some sympathy with the clarion wake-up call they’re trying to give the country”.

“[Nigel Farage] saying what a lot of people, what the electorate, seems to think a lot of politicians are frightened of saying,” he told The Mirror.

“He’s a good orator. He’s a populist. He’s a man people warm to.”

Titchmarsh, who has a country house in Hampshire, also condemned Labour’s mansion tax, which proposes to tax property-owners with homes valued over £2 million.

He doesn’t believe the results of such a tax will be fruitful.

“It’s a jealousy tax really,” he said. “It’s not going to raise a lot of money. I’m a pragmatist and it won’t really raise that much. We do need to raise money – we all need to contribute.”

The television personality also defended his friend, Myleene Klass, who criticised new tax band proposals. She appeared on a live televised debate with Ed Miliband, in which she asserted that far from making money from a wealthy elite, the plans would hit elderly home-owners and Londoners hardest.

“Good for Myleene for saying it!” said Titchmarsh.

“Why has she got on? Because she works like stink. I know Myleene – she’s a mate. Why shouldn’t she have an opinion?

“We have to realise that some people in this world have a lot of money. I don’t hate billionaires – they employ a lot of people. It’s the way life is.

“Everybody wants to get on, everybody wants to encourage you to get on.”

He argued that the public needs to stop berating the wealthy, who have worked hard to achieve what they have. Titchmarsh says he worked as an apprentice on three pounds 17 and sixpence a week in 1966, and while he admits he’s “been very lucky to be given opportunities”, he has also worked “extremely hard”.

“But then when you’ve got on, why are you vilified?” he questioned. “You lose your right to an opinion.

“I wouldn’t like to think that I now don’t have a voice and people don’t respect me because I’ve done well and I’ve got a few bob.”