Monty Don 'ready to embrace a quieter life' and brands Gardeners' World a 'remorseless treadmill'
Monty Don opened up about stepping away from the BBC series
BBC
Monty Don has opened up about his future on the BBC programme Gardeners' World and revealed his wish to have a "quieter life", wanting to choose projects on his own terms.
Last year, Don hinted at his departure from the series and told Radio Times Magazine: "The logical thing to do is give up Gardeners' World, which is, for all its virtues, a remorseless treadmill."
Don has presented the BBC Two show since 2003 and formed a beloved fanbase of green-fingered and amateur gardeners across the nation, helping many to turn their gardens into a picturesque scene.
Now, he has considered bowing out of the show to pursue other projects such as writing and presenting travel shows, telling Abode2 Magazine: "I don't tend to work quite so hard these days, and when I do take on a project, I do them on my own terms.
"At my age now, I'm ready to embrace a quieter, slower pace of life. Watching garden life flow by, what it's all about."
He also revealed how he never intended to have a career in television, adding that it all happened after he took an unexpected opportunity that came his way.
Monty Don admitted that he wants to start choosing what projects he wants to do
BBC
The 69-year-old explained: "I've always had this policy in life. If you say no, you'll spend the rest of your life wondering what might have happened. If you say yes, you'll find out."
Don has also been battling some mental health issues, and previously confessed in an interview with Radio Times: "I have, for many years, suffered from depression, which comes and goes but tends to be something that is worse in the winter."
Despite noting that he currently feels "fine", he added: "I wouldn’t say I have been healed. I'd say I am being healed. It's an ongoing process."
This isn't the first time that Don has opened up about his mental health struggles, and admitted in December 2023 that his seasonal affective disorder was so bad that his wife Sarah threatened to walk out on him with their three children if he did not seek help.
Monty Don opened up about his mental health issues
BBC
Mental health isn't the only thing that Don has been candid about, after suffering a minor stroke in 2008 that forced him to step down from Gardeners' World.
He told The Mail in 2011 that he didn't want to be known as "the man who was ill" and added: "I don't work so hard now, and when I do things I do them on my terms.
"Psychologically, I've tried to put it behind me but, yes, I became very aware of my mortality and that was very real."
Whilst tackling his health struggles, Don was excited ahead of the premiere of his new show Monty Don's Spanish Gardens, which launched on BBC Two back in February.
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Monty Don suffered from seasonal affective disorder which put a strain on his relationship
BBC
He described filming the show as "an exhilarating and fascinating experience," writing on his website: "This was filmed last year when I spent 7 weeks in Spain across April, May, June and October and covers over 40 different gardens."
"I found it an exhilarating and fascinating experience with stunning gardens and learned so much more about the country - despite having visited many times before as a tourist.
"It looks incredible and hope you find it as entertaining and rewarding watching it as I did making it."