Ainsley Harriott rushed to save his sister Jacqueline from drowning at the Chelsea Flower Show after she fell into pond water

TV chef Ainsley Harriott and other stars rushed to save his sister Jacqueline from drowning as she fell into pond water at the Chelsea Flower Show on Monday.

The 65-year-old was pictured lifting his sibling out of the water, alongside a group of celebrities, including DIY SOS host Nick Knowles.

Taking to Twitter on Monday afternoon, Ainsley reassured fans his sister was doing “fine” following the dramatic fall.

He wrote: “Just a big thank you to everyone who helped my sister when she had a fall at the Chelsea Flower Show this morning. She’s doing fine and all is well.”

Pictures showed Ainsley grabbing onto Jacqueline and pulling her up after she slipped into the narrow water feature.

She was handed over to paramedics after being pulled from the water.

Onlookers were shocked as they watched the event unfold, with Ainsley and others rushing to save her, while Nick stood at the sidelines looking concerned with his new girlfriend Katie Dadzie.

One guest who attended the show explained what had happened.

They told The Sun: “The garden was packed with lots of people and I think the woman must have fallen into the pond or tripped over and ended up in the water.

“I think she nearly drowned. She was pulled out by Ainsley Harriott and some other celebrities before they laid her down on the floor. She was coughing up lots of water.”

The 59-year-old DIY SOS star was smart-casual for his day at the gardening festival – arriving in a baby blue sports jacket, a dark, open-neck shirt, white trousers, and tan coloured shoes.

The star’s girlfriend, meanwhile, looked summer ready in a delightful light blue floral print dress, strappy heeled sandals, and a chic cream coloured cardi-coat.

Nick and Katie, 32, have been dating since the summer of 2021 and looked very relaxed as they strolled together to the flower show on Monday.

Father-of-four Nick has previously defended his girlfriend after vicious online trolls branded her a gold digger after noting the 27-year age gap between the pair.

Rounding on the online bullies, Nick warned he would not stand by and allow them to take shots at “people I care about.”

He told The Sun earlier this month: “I choose to be on TV. As a result, I expect the whole nine yards. I am up there as an object. I’ve chosen to be on TV but my children, or my family, or people I date, for them I feel it’s unfair to have a go at them.

“What upset was the judgment of her without knowing anything about her. Or what her motivations might be. I found that upsetting and unfair and felt I needed to say something about it.

“By all means have a go at me, I’m there to be shot at verbally on social media and the rest of it because of what I’ve chosen to do as a living.”