Monty Don has revealed that his travel programmes demand far more effort than his role on Gardeners' World, as the 71-year-old prepares to step back from the BBC series at the end of the current run.
The presenter, who took over from Alan Titchmarsh in 2003, has been making travel shows alongside his gardening commitments for nearly two decades. His series have taken him to Italy, France, Spain, Japan and the USA, among other destinations, beginning with Around the World in 80 Gardens.
Behind the Scenes Demands
Speaking to the Good Food podcast, Monty was candid about the gruelling reality of filming. He described the programmes as "a labour of love" and explained that the work is more intense than his BBC gardening role.
"It's harder work doing that than Gardeners' World, for example. Very often leave the hotel early, at six or something like that. Film all day. Travel, as well. Get to our next location if we're lucky about half past six, seven, if we're unlucky, nine," he said.
"Then all the kit has to be unloaded, the batteries charged, I have to do my research for the next day, we have to eat, you get to bed about midnight, up at half past five the next morning, and that's what we do."
No Rest Days and Gruelling Travel
Monty highlighted the relentless pace, noting there are no rest days. He recalled that filming British Gardens over two years involved five trips, with him personally driving 1,000 miles each time. During the Rhineland series, the team filmed in four separate countries on the same day.
Following his most recent series, Rhineland Gardens, which aired earlier in 2026, Monty has set his sights on Scandinavia and South America. He dismissed speculation that Rhineland Gardens would be his final travel programme, saying: "That was never the intention (for it to be the final show). It's getting harder and harder to get these programmes commissioned."
Long-Standing Production Team
The shows consistently feature the same production team, which Monty affectionately dubbed the "oldest TV team in the world", with most members in their 60s and 70s.
He added: "They are a lot of preparation, they are an awful lot of filming. They are a labour of love."
Gardeners' World airs tonight (Friday, September 25) from 8pm to 9pm on BBC Two.
