Monty Don is a household name across the UK thanks to his role on Gardeners' World. While the green-fingered presenter is a familiar face on the BBC, he actually began his career over three decades ago over on ITV's This Morning.
The 67-year-old landed a weekly spot on the daytime programme in October 1989, hosting a live gardening segment. His This Morning appearances led to other TV work, and he was soon employed by the BBC to host the shows, Holiday and Tomorrow's World.
In November 1999, he landed a Channel 4 gig hosting the gardening series Fork to Fork, in which he and his wife Sarah presented segments on growing and cooking organic vegetables.
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Then, in 2002, Monty was announced as the new lead presenter of the long-running series, Gardeners' World, taking over from Alan Titchmarsh in 2003.
Upon leaving the show, Alan, who had fronted the programme from 1995, said he was "sad" to go but "never really expected to be presenting it for so many years". "Now it feels right to move off onto other programmes and give someone else a chance," he added.
While Monty has been in the entertainment industry for 30 years now and is known for his impressive horticultural skills, he had a very different job prior to his This Morning debut.
Before embarking on his on-screen career, however, Monty and his wife Sarah ran their own jewellery business in Knightsbridge from 1981 until 1987 when the stock market crashed and almost caused bankruptcy. During their time running the business, the couple had some very famous customers including Princess Diana, Michael Jackson and Boy George.
MORE: How Gardeners' World star Monty Don's marriage was affected by illness
Luckily, Monty found his true calling in gardening soon after and by 1989 had written several gardening articles.
Speaking about his love for gardening at the Chelsea Flower Show, he said: "It eases a troubled mind. It is happiness. It’s good that mental illness is gradually being destigmatised, but there is so much more we have to do, even to begin to get to grips with the problem."
He added: "So many people discovered during lockdown two years ago – that first lockdown with that extraordinary spring – every garden, no matter how small, how humble, how modest, how inexperienced, is rich with wildlife. And in the garden, we get that first-hand connection with nature, and it’s as direct and as personal as most people are ever going to experience."
Who is Monty Don's wife?
Monty Don is married to Sarah Don, whom he met at Cambridge University and married in 1983. The couple, who now reside in Herefordshire, share three children, Tom, Adam and Freya, and are proud grandparents to George and Daisy Rose.
MORE: Meet Gardener's World presenter Monty Don's family
Speaking about his wife on the Gardeners' World magazine podcast with editor Lucy Hall, the TV star said: "Sarah has always been an entirely supportive partner in crime. One of the things I always say privately and I should say publicly at every opportunity, it's her garden as much as mine. This is not my garden, it's our garden. It's 'We' always."
Keep scrolling for more photos of Monty and Sarah...
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