Rachel de Thame is a familiar face in the world of gardening.
"Up until that point, the job I was doing was working really well with juggling the kids, but not then"
But the self-confessed ‘earth mother’ has revealed that, while she loves getting green-fingered with the best of them, she was left stunned when she was banned from breastfeeding at the world famous Chelsea Flower Show.
The Gardeners’ World presenter told Radio Times magazine: “I absolutely think women and men are equal in the world of horticulture and design, though there was one occasion when I was filming at the Chelsea Flower Show and I wasn’t allowed to breastfeed.
“I’m an earth mother. I liked being pregnant and giving birth and breastfeeding.
“Up until that point, the job I was doing was working really well with juggling the kids, but not then.”
The former model and actress, 53, added that she has noticed a gender imbalance at the Chelsea Flower Show in recent years.
Speaking from the heart, the mother-of-four (and two-time grandmother!) said: “Having said there are as many opportunities for men as there are for women, I did notice that there weren’t many show gardens designed by women this year at Chelsea and I am not sure what that’s about.
“Maybe the same issues that affect women working in other spheres do affect women in horticulture. We have babies. We are not available for full-time work.”
She finished firmly: “It’s tricky but we definitely need both male and female designers in order to get balance.”