Escape to the Country star made one major change that impacted his whole life

Alistair Appleton has been a regular face on the BBC for decades, having first landed on the channel in the early 2000s.

In more recent times the TV star is best known among fans for his much-loved role on , which sees him flee to picturesque locations across the UK to see if participants are ready and willing to take the plunge into a new way of living.

The 55 year-old may be a staple on our screens now, but prior to joining the broadcast giant he had a very different job away from television.

Over 25 years ago now, Alistair made "the best decision" of his life when he opted to switch things up, rolling the dice and taking a very different trajectory.

As his TV career started to take off, Alistair had also pledged an interest in meditation and Buddhism. Speaking about his journey and having no regrets about his path in life, the on-screen star told Great British Life in 2012: "It was initially just a way of keeping my head but gradually I became really interested in Buddhism."

After taking up medication to keep him grounded, he also found a love of travelling the globe, venturing to various retreats in Thailand, California, Zimbabwe and Scotland.

Through much practice, he was inspired to teach others the art of mindfulness meditation during a visit to Holy Island, Arran. Just a few years into his teaching, he decided it was time to spread his wings and open up his own meditation company, Mindsprings, in 2005.

He continued to educate himself while maintaining a job on television and retrained as psychotherapist, this is a move that Alistair now claims was "the best decision" of his entire life.

In a chat about his side-job, with the same publication, he stated: "I loved that work so much that I started to get a bit disenchanted with all the crazy schedules of TV filming and I decided five years ago to re-train as a psychotherapist."

The TV star added: "That was the best decision of my life and I think I've hit my 40s in much better shape than I hit my 30s." According to Alistair's official landing page on his website, Mindsprings offers "wellness and the promotion of mental health before the 'illness' and pathology set in".

Alistair, as a sufferer of anxiety, is keen on guiding others on how to elevate stress in their lives. On his website, he detailed a very troublesome time in his life when his mental health was at an all time low.

He penned: "Around 2012, I got ill. After a very stressful breakup, working crazy hours, finishing an intense therapy training and buying and renovating a London home.

"At the time, I didn't know it was anxiety, but I couldn't sleep, felt constantly tired and worried about everything."

He has now devoted the last decade to attempt to "understand and transform" his own anxiety, all while helping others too.

Escape to the Country airs on BBC One today at 3pm and tomorrow at 14:45. Escape to the Country is also available to stream on iPlayer.