Monty Don, 71, shared an emotional message for his Gardeners' World co-star Jamie Butterworth after the gardening expert revealed he is expecting his first child with his wife, Devon. Butterworth, 31, who regularly appears on the beloved BBC Two show, announced the news on Instagram with sweet photos of the couple holding their baby ultrasound scan.
In the snaps, Butterworth rested a protective hand on Devon's growing baby bump as she held out their scan. He captioned the post: “We’ve been keeping a secret (and a fairly big one). Baby Butterworth, due early January 2027.”
Celebrity Reactions and Monty Don's Support
A slew of stars shared their excitement in the comments. Nicki Chapman commented, “Wonderful news,” while Zoe Ball added: “Big hearty congrats to you both wow. Best job ever. I promise.” GMB's Charlotte Hawkins also commented: “Amazing! What fabulous news, big congratulations.”
Don was one of the first to comment, sharing his support by penning: “Hurrah. Congratulations.” He has been vocal in his admiration for Butterworth, with whom he collaborated on the RHS Show Feature Dog Garden at Chelsea Flower Show last year. Butterworth, also a regular on ITV's Love Your Weekend, married Devon in August 2025, and they live in Windsor.
Don's Health Struggles and Future Plans
Don's tribute comes after he opened up about his health struggles, detailing his recent knee replacement surgery in November, which he described as “horribly painful.” He admitted he was struggling to film Gardeners' World at his Herefordshire home Longmeadow due to the procedure.
“I was finding by the end of a day’s filming I could barely walk upstairs and I certainly couldn’t take the dogs for a walk,” he told Saga magazine. “It was severely limiting what I was doing. I did it so I could keep on working because it was getting to the point where filming was cutting round me limping.”
Don went on: “However you do it, a knee replacement is horribly painful. But three months on I’m gardening again and haven’t walked with a stick for a month. Sarah says I’ve been doing far too much stuff, but it’s fine and going to plan – though it can be inexplicably painful one day and then not at all another.”
The garden designer and horticulturalist admitted he will have another replacement, “probably in late 2027.” He also plans to continue presenting Gardeners' World until at least 2028 and struggles to imagine what retirement would look like.
Emotional Tribute to His Dogs
Don hit the headlines last week when he shared an emotional tribute to his dogs, sparking fears among fans. He posted a snap of his seven-year-old Yorkshire Terrier Patti and four-year-old Golden Retriever Ned's names engraved into the stone pathway of his Doghouse, which he designed as part of his Chelsea Flower Show garden and later turned into his potting shed.
Don, who previously credited his dogs with helping him through depression and “simmering anxiety,” simply captioned the post: "In the threshold of the Doghouse." Fans rushed to the comments, fearing Patti had died, but others pointed out that the names were engraved last year and both dogs were alive. One fan urged Don: "I think you need to post a clarification as there are a lot of upset people commenting here!"
