Monty Don has addressed what he considers the “biggest misconception” about him, just weeks after announcing he will step down from BBC’s Gardeners’ World. The 71-year-old presenter, who has hosted the show since taking over from Alan Titchmarsh in 2003, revealed that despite what viewers might think, he is “not a full-time gardener”.
“Incredibly complex” production
Speaking on the Good Food podcast before his exit announcement on Instagram, Monty insisted the show is “incredibly complex” to film. He said: “That I spend all my time gardening. The biggest misconception is that I just happen to be in the garden 18 hours a day and every now and then, a film crew turns up and catches me in the garden.”
He added: “There is a production team of about 50 people, there are scripts, there are pre-production meetings. It’s an incredibly complex jigsaw puzzle we put together.”
“I don’t get paid to garden”
Monty explained that, contrary to popular opinion, he only gardens in his spare time and is not paid for it. He said: “I mean, seriously, I lead an incredibly busy life. I write books, I give talks, I travel a lot to film. I garden in my spare time. I’m not a full-time gardener.”
He continued: “I wish I was, but I go to work every day. I don’t get paid to garden. I do garden nearly all my spare time and so, nowadays, I try and spend one full day a week in the garden and a couple of three/four hour sessions. I think people think I occasionally go indoors and get fed.”
Funding gardeners at Longmeadow
This is not the first time Monty has shared insights into the show. After announcing his exit, he said he would need to solve a potential problem at Longmeadow, his home in Herefordshire, where he has lived with his wife Sarah since 1991.
During an appearance at the RHS Malvern Show, Monty revealed the BBC had been contributing towards the salaries of two gardeners who help keep his garden “camera ready” while he is away. He said: “The BBC pays a contribution towards their wages. Not enough, but they do pay something, which is great. Obviously that contribution is going to go.”
He added: “I will have to think of ways - I can't afford it unless we earn money from it - so I am going to think of ways of earning something from the garden, but I can't do that until the middle of next year at the earliest.”
Monty returns to UK screens this evening (October 9) on BBC Gardeners’ World at 8pm on BBC Two.
