Monty Don, the renowned gardener and television presenter, has spoken emotionally about the car accident that left his twin sister, Alison, with life-changing injuries when they were teenagers. In a candid interview with podcast host Gyles Brandreth, Don described the inseparable bond he shared with his sister during their early years.
Don recalled receiving a telegram while on a gap year in the south of France in the mid-1970s, which simply read: 'Ring home, Alison, accident.' He knew immediately that something was terribly wrong, saying: 'I knew that she hadn't just fallen off a horse.' Alison had been 'terribly injured' in a horrific smash, leaving her blind and tetraplegic, with her lungs coated by a burst bag of cement. She was given the last rites.
Rushing to her bedside at Stoke Mandeville Hospital, Don described how he would lie under her bed, talk to her, and tell her jokes before going outside to weep. The family's ordeal deepened when their mother suffered a heart attack shortly after, leaving Don to care for his furious father, who could not cook and refused to eat anything his wife had not prepared.
Despite the severity of her injuries, Alison made an incredible recovery, marrying and having children. However, she never regained full use of one arm and one eye, and underwent around 50 operations. Now 70, Don admitted that he and his sister are not as close as they once were, saying: 'I adore my sister... but we don't share it very much.' He expressed sadness at the distance between them, fearing that Alison may feel hurt.
Don is set to host 'Have I Got News for You' tonight at 9pm on BBC One.
