Monty Don has opened up about the origins of his relationship with his wife, Sarah Don, admitting he took her from a friend and has no regrets. The 70-year-old Gardeners' World presenter discussed their 40-year marriage on the White Wine Question Time podcast, revisiting its beginnings.
Monty Don Reflects on Meeting Sarah
Monty disclosed he initially fell for Sarah while she was already married to a wealthy botanist. He acknowledged that the start of their romance was 'complicated' and characterised their early chemistry as 'intense'.
He stated: 'I don't think it was love at first sight. I think it was an intense attraction at first sight.' Monty was friends with Sarah's ex-husband, explaining that they rode together. He revealed that he met the pair socially for around six months.
In his honest recollection, he confessed: 'Her husband was someone that I rode with and knew very well, and that was the case for about six months, where I'd meet them socially.'
Gradual Connection
The presenter recalled that he and Sarah did not become a couple straight away, as their connection developed gradually over time. 'I remember thinking in a sort of quite banal way, 'How come that she met him before she met me? Why's the person that you feel strongly attracted to with somebody else? Marriage or not',' he said.
Nevertheless, Monty revealed that at the time, he did not think he and Sarah could become anything beyond friends.
No Intent to Steal
Monty went on to say that he never set out to steal Sarah from her previous husband. 'It wasn't like I was trying to pinch someone else's wife - there was no question of that,' he maintained.
A year later, their paths converged because her husband was absent on a work trip. Monty stated: 'She decided that she absolutely didn't want to sort of have an affair. She chose me, and it was for about six months an extremely difficult, unhappy, tormented set-up because he obviously was not very happy with that arrangement.'
No Regrets
Reflecting on his feelings about the matter today, Monty admitted: 'The point is I've always felt a bit guilty about it, but at the same time, there is a kind of ruthlessness. All is fair in love and war. You can't pussyfoot about. If you decide to be with someone and it means breaking up their marriage, you can't then say 'Oh I feel really bad about this.'
'No I don't. I thought it was great, it was wonderful. I'm so glad. I feel sorry for him, but it happened and I'm really glad it happened. I have no regrets at all.'
The couple have been together for over four decades. They tied the knot on July 29, 1983. Following their nuptials, Monty and Sarah welcomed three children together: Adam, Freya, and Tom.
