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TV chef Ainsley Harriotthas been ignored by theChelsea Flower ShowIt has been reported that after his sister fell into a pond, he threatened to take legal action against the organizers.
The Mail on Sunday is aware that Mr. Harriott has not been invited to the flower show’s high-profile VIP event, where celebrities and media members receive a sneak peek before the public opening, since 2022, when his sister Jacqueline accidentally fell backward into a pond and was completely submerged.
In intense moments, Mr Harriott, 69, and other onlookers helped pull her from the water following the incident at theBBCStudios Our Green Planet and RHS Bee Garden.
She was observed coughing up “a significant amount of water” prior to paramedics transporting her to the hospital, where she fully recovered.
A furious Mr. Harriott, the star of Ready Steady Cook, later mentioned that his family was thinking about taking legal steps against the show’s organizer, the Royal Horticultural Society, stating: “They should have put barriers around it [the pond]. It was approximately 6 feet deep – a significant fall once you hit the water.”
The MoS acknowledges that although Mr. Harriott chose not to take legal action, he has not been invited to the VIP event following his public comments.
“It’s extremely, extremely unfortunate,” Mr. Harriott, who has previously mentioned his passion for gardening, said.
I would have really liked to have attended [last year’s VIP day] but I must have caused some issue because after I made those comments, the invitations simply ceased.
Mr. Harriott has visited the flower exhibition a minimum of eight times.
He was joined by Jacqueline, a former cooking instructor, on three separate instances.
He remarked, “Perhaps I shouldn’t have spoken up. It didn’t lead to anything in the end, but you understand how families are.”
When she collapsed… I love her deeply. I was distressed. The RHS holds significant meaning for me – my mother was a member of the organization.
Matt Peskett, an RHS volunteer who witnessed the incident in 2022, later remarked: ‘There were 30 or 40 celebrities present and they were all consuming champagne.’
And then, all of a sudden, one of the guests stepped back and fell in. He fell completely in, not just his foot.
A different witness stated, “I believe she almost drowned. She was pulled out by Ainsley Harriott and several other celebrities before they placed her on the floor. She was expelling a lot of water.”
This year’s gathering is expected to be an especially dazzling affair, featuring a garden designed by King Charles and Sir David Beckham as the main highlight.
The former England captain and gardener Alan Titchmarsh met the King last month to talk about the King’s Foundation Curious Garden.
Mr. Harriott’s representative stated that he had not received an invitation “last year or this year.”
Following an approach from the MoS on Friday, the RHS expressed a desire for new supporters to have the chance to participate, but seemingly changed its stance, stating that Mr. Harriott would be welcome.
A representative stated, “We are disappointed that Ainsley holds this view and hope he had communicated with us directly.”
He is more than welcome to join if he wants, and we would greatly appreciate his backing for our broader charitable efforts as well.
In 2024, Mr Harriott presented an ITV series that included a cooking contest set in three National Trust kitchen gardens.
One of his programs, Ainsley’s Fantastic Flavours, is set to come back on ITV later this year.
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