Ground Force legend dies aged 69 as tributes flood in

“He died peacefully after a long illness surrounded by his family,” they said.

“As this has only just happened, we would ask everyone to please respect the family’s privacy.”

News of Mr Walsh’s death first emerged on social media following a statement from his local football club.

“It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of Tommy Walsh,” the Old Parmiterians FC X account shared.

“A Parmiters boy he played for the club for many years in goal but made a great career as a TV personality in shows such as Ground Force.

“He will be sorely missed. RIP Tommy,” the statement concluded.

Mr Walsh, who also appeared in programmes such as Homes Under the Hammer and Flip That House with Tommy Walsh, has been open about his health woes over the years.

The presenter first encountered a health scare back in 2002 when benign lumps were found in his chest.

Two further diagnoses followed: a malignant throat growth removed in 2022 and a lung tumour detected in late 2023.

Through each ordeal, Mr Walsh has spoken candidly about his experiences, emphasising the value of acting quickly when something feels wrong and not putting off visits to the GP.

Mr Walsh’s first brush with cancer came in 2002, when he noticed two lumps in his chest.

Breast cancer had affected both his sister and his aunt, which prompted him to raise the matter with his doctor.

Both lumps turned out to be benign and were removed without complication.

Two decades years later, Mr Walsh discovered he had cancer himself while taking part in a cancer awareness campaign. During a visit to his GP for an unrelated matter, a suspicious lump was identified in his throat.

The growth was surgically removed without delay, and Mr Walsh made a full recovery. He confirmed at the time that he had bounced back completely, telling reporters: “I am now fully recovered and even back playing football!”

However, towards the end of 2023, he revealed at a charity event that doctors suspected a three-centimetre tumour in his lung after he had sought treatment for a chest infection.

By June 2024, Mr Walsh was able to share that a targeted radiotherapy technique known as SABR had caused the growth to shrink, and crucially it was found to be situated just outside the lung rather than within it.

Mr Walsh’s agent didn’t confirm the details of the “long illness” that ultimately ended the presenter’s life.