Frances Tophill was born in Deal, Kent, and is one of three sisters. The middle of three daughters born to Chris and Christine Tophill, she recalls: “My dad was an enthusiastic rock climber. We would go camping as a family and nature was always a part of my upbringing. My grandmother knew all the mushrooms and would take us mushrooming in the woods.”

On leaving school, Frances started a job at Marks & Spencer as a shop assistant, spending three years in the same store before a complete change of career beckoned. An apprenticeship at The Salutation Gardens in Sandwich attracted her interest — at £2 less an hour she was not sure, but after visiting the gardens Frances knew the outdoor life of a gardener was for her.

She completed her BSc in Horticulture with Plantsmanship at the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh in 2013, despite her dyslexia. She got into TV presenting at the age of 23 while studying for her degree in Edinburgh, joining the presenting team on ITV’s Love Your Garden. Frances became a Gardeners’ World presenter in 2016, and has volunteered and worked for the Dawlish Garden Trust for gardeners with a learning disability.

She worked a season at Monet’s garden, has worked at the Andromeda Botanical Garden in Barbados, done WWOOF work at various locations including vineyards, and has spent many years working in gardens with vulnerable adults. Frances now has her own home in Devon, where she also works as Head Gardener and Grower at the Sharpham Trust in Totnes.