BBC Garden Rescue star Lee Burkhill forced to defend show with Charlie Dimmock

BBC Garden Rescue star Lee Burkhill has been forced to defend his role on the hit show alongside Ground Force legend Charlie Dimmock.

Lee has become a breakout star of the afternoon garden makeover programme on BBC One, having helped hundreds of families with gardens in crisis transform their outdoor spaces alongside Dimmock. Charlie Dimmock, of course, is already well known to garden makeover fans, as she rose to fame with garden gurus Alan Titchmarsh and Tommy Walsh on the legendary Ground Force.

On Monday, her Garden Rescue co-star Lee went on record on his Instagram to defend their show after he was told other celebrities had 'criticised' such programmes. He also hit out at 'incorrect and misleading advice' shared online, and explained why he tries to help people with the right information.

He told his fans: "I've been recently asked for a well known gardening magazine to defend gardening makeover shows against other gardening celebrities criticising these shows and why they would 'never be on them'.

"Now I'm not blind to the pitfalls of all TV and social media gardening coverage. There's a lot of smoke and mirrors. Online there's a lot of incorrect and down right misleading advice from people claiming to be experts in horticulture, design and botany.

"In fact it makes me sometimes feels like a world away from why I started putting my guides free online. To help EVERYONE to learn how to garden regardless of background, budget or location. Not just likes or 'fame'.

"I have no idea how well my entire quote/response will be sliced up. But I thought you all may appreciate the full response here.

BUT THE BIG QUESTION of the Ninja community is...what do YOU think? Are gardening makeover shows just a product and bad for the industry. Or is it just more not so subtle gardening elitism?!"

Fans were divided by Lee's question.

@mttreegirl said: "Garden rescue is one of my favourite shows lee!! You and Charlie are my favourites on there! Speaking from an outsider's perspective, you should be really proud of what you have accomplished! And yes! Garden design shows are the best!! They make me want to go outside and create or start drawing!"

@zoerichardsuk said: "Criticism of things that are accessible to the masses pretty much always comes from elitism. Every show has its place. Do I want to watch all gardening programmes? No, I pick and choose based on what I need, and right now, having gone back to basics of creating a garden from scratch, I need the basics, which Garden Rescue gives me. Plus, I love getting my Lee fix on TV"

@matz62 said: "I used to love the garden makeover shows but it seems to me that there are too many now, as there are with the house makeover shows and they've lost their 'specialness' as a result. The one thing I wish was made clear is the actual ost of the makeover of the garden which runs into £1000s not just £5,000 as I well know..."

@capabilitycharlotte said: "Your Garden Made Perfect for was slightly more realistic about prices, but these were gardens way beyond the Dreams and budget of normal people."

BBC Garden Rescue is on BBC One at 3.45pm on weekdays and new a new episode will be shown at 8.30pm on Wednesday, June 24 on BBC One and BBC iPlayer.