Popular TV gardener Monty Don is back on our screens for his latest series, Monty Don’s British Gardens on BBC Two. In the show he travels across some of the country’s most stunning landscapes, taking viewers with him.
Monty shot to fame when he appeared on This Morning with his gardening segment in 1989 and has gone on to present many other gardening shows, including Gardeners’ World and the BBC’s coverage of the Chelsea Flower Show. The beloved gardening expert has faced his fair share of personal battles, including a severe bout of depression and health scares.
Before he became a famous gardener Monty was actually a businessman, owning Monty Don Jewellery, a chic jewellery store that was a hit with the fashion crowd. However the business came to an abrupt end following the Wall Street crash in 1987, leading to a complete financial collapse.
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Monty has spoken about his struggles with “unhealable depression” in his 20s following the bankruptcy of his jewellery business. The impact on Monty’s mental health was profound, with his wife Sarah becoming increasingly concerned for their children as they began to question, “Why is daddy always crying?”
Now 69, Monty has been candid about how gardening has been therapeutic for him, helping to alleviate his symptoms. He also has seasonal affective disorder (SAD), which he discussed on Kate Thornton’s White Wine Question Time podcast, saying: “I was long ago diagnosed with SAD there’s no question about it, that November and December are always the worst time for me I can’t bear them.”
In 2008, Monty suffered a minor stroke which caused him to take time away from Gardener’s World and put his media career on hold. More recently, in 2024, Monty had to cancel appearances due to an unspecified illness that resulted in a three-day hospital stay.
“I was rushed to A&E. I was kept in at the hospital over Saturday, Sunday, and Monday and had to have drips and all the rest of it,” he shared online. For the latest TV and showbiz gossip sign up to our newsletter.