Alan Titchmarsh lands 11m ITV deal

Alan Titchmarsh has signed an £11 million deal with ITV.

The 61-year-old star will receive £5 million for fronting a new show to rival 'Gardeners' World' - the BBC series he hosted for six years until 2002 - on Friday nights, as well as four more seasons of his daytime talk show 'The Alan Titchmarsh Show', with production company Spun Gold landing the other £7 million.

He told The Sun newspaper: "My greatest commitment has always been to people at home who want reliable information put over in a clear manner.

"And the opportunity to offer a trustworthy brand is a challenge I am determined to fulfil."

It is also expected that as well as his earnings from the two-year deal, Alan will earn further millions through merchandise tied in with the shows.

A source said: "Alan loves gardening and was desperate to do a show like 'Gardeners' World' for ITV. Gardening is big business in Britain so it makes perfect sense.

"The deal also means they can flog loads of stuff with Alan's name on. He's a trusted guy so they're pretty confident he will make money for them."