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Monty Don to Step Down From Gardeners' World After 20 Years

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Monty Don, 71, will leave BBC's Gardeners' World at the end of the current series after more than two decades and roughly 700 episodes as head gardener.

Monty Don will leave his role as the host of BBC's Gardeners' World after more than two decades, the broadcaster confirmed on 8 September 2026. The 71-year-old, the longest-serving head gardener in the show's history, will bow out when the current series ends.

Don, whose full name is George Montague Don, said presenting the programme had been a "deeply rewarding experience" but that the moment had come to move on. "Now is the right time for a change," he said in a statement. He first appeared on the show in 2003, taking over from Alan Titchmarsh.

Over his tenure he fronted around 700 episodes. Don began at Berryfields, a rented plot in Stratford-upon-Avon, before the show relocated in 2011 to his own garden, Longmeadow, in Herefordshire. He reflected on the bond built with viewers over those years, describing an audience he called both passionate and often deeply knowledgeable.

"That connection with millions, not just in Britain but across the world, who share a love of gardens, plants and the natural world is something I have always treasured and which I increasingly believe to be at the heart of a life well lived," he said.

Don praised the production side of the job, saying he had "always relished the craft of programme making," and thanked what he called the "superlative BBC team" he had worked alongside. He signalled he was not leaving the broadcaster entirely, adding that he looked forward to further projects with the BBC and to exploring "new avenues." He also made clear his own gardening would continue: "I will still be gardening, dog by side, here at Longmeadow."

From This Morning to Gardeners' World

Don's television career began in 1989 with a gardening slot on ITV's This Morning. That early appearance led to assignments across the BBC and Channel 4, a regular newspaper column, and a substantial body of writing - he has authored more than 20 books on gardening.

His run on Gardeners' World was interrupted in 2008, when he stepped away to recover from a stroke before returning to the show. Beyond the flagship programme, he has presented a range of other titles, including Around the World in 80 Gardens, My Dream Farm, Mastercrafts and Monty Don's Rhineland Gardens. He has also anchored the BBC's coverage of the Chelsea Flower Show.

BBC pays tribute

The BBC said Don had "inspired and guided millions of viewers with his warmth, wisdom and passion for gardening" across his time on the show. Kate Phillips, the corporation's chief content officer, called him "unique" and described him as "a wonderfully engaging broadcaster with a soothing, calm presence who has inspired so many."

Phillips said she accepted his choice while regretting it. "Monty's decision to leave Gardeners' World is one I respect, but I'm still very sad he's leaving," she said. She credited his advice with lifting the skills of viewers across the country, joking that his guidance had raised both her knowledge and her "plant survival rate."

She also singled out his candour about difficult periods in his life. Phillips thanked him "for his honesty and kindness which has seen him open up about his own personal struggles and the power of the natural world to improve mental health," and said the show would miss him "hugely." Don has spoken publicly over the years about living with depression.

His departure closes a chapter that spanned two gardens, hundreds of episodes and an audience that reached well beyond the UK. For now, the BBC has not named a successor, and Don's final appearances will air as the current series runs its course.

Monty Don, Gardeners' World, BBC, Longmeadow, Alan Titchmarsh, Kate Phillips, gardening television, Chelsea Flower Show

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