Monty Don has admitted he may be forced into making a major change at Longmeadow following his departure from Gardeners' World. The 71-year-old is leaving the show after more than 20 years at its helm.
During a talk at the RHS Malvern autumn show, Don revealed that his soon-to-be former employer, the BBC, had been contributing to the salaries of two gardeners who have worked at Longmeadow since 2011. He said the team was needed so the garden could always look "camera ready" if he was away filming in another country or working on another project.
Financial impact of leaving
With his Gardeners' World exit in mind, Don, who has lived at Longmeadow in Herefordshire with his wife Sarah since 1991, said there will come a moment when he will need an alternative plan to keep the garden in shape.
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."
"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."
Reasons for leaving
Don, who announced his intention to leave Gardeners' World in an Instagram video, said he had decided to step away from the show as he felt it was "the right time for a change". He paid tribute to the "superlative BBC team" and added: "I look forward to continuing to work with and for the BBC on other projects, as well as following new avenues. And of course, I will still be gardening, dog by side, here at Longmeadow."
His exit has led to speculation about who might replace him, with several candidates from the existing Gardeners' World team being mentioned.
Potential successor rules herself out
Months before Don's announcement, Frances Tophill, 36, was asked how she would feel about potentially replacing him. Although she has been part of the team for over a decade, she ruled herself out of following in his footsteps, with Don having taken over from Alan Titchmarsh in 2003.
Speaking to the Sunday Times, Tophill said: "I have a huge respect for Monty – it is such a generous thing to give your garden space to the nation and he does it so well. I hope he never leaves....Broadcasting is not my day job, my day job is being a gardener."
Her comments came after she got a taste of life as the main presenter when she found herself surrounded by people in a garden centre after deputising for Don during one episode in 2023. She added: "That's when I got a glimpse of what being Monty must be like... I don't want that."
