Inside BBC Gardeners' World star Monty Don's life off-screen - from financial loss to meeting wife

Monty Don, the green-fingered legend of Gardeners' World, has been a staple on our television screens for years. At 69, Monty has been presenting the beloved gardening programme since 2003, sharing his expertise and passion from his own stunning garden.

Before becoming a household name in horticulture, Monty had a different career path that was altered by life-changing events. He has often spoken about how nature and gardening essentially rescued both his life and career, leading him to become one of the most esteemed figures in gardening television, reports the Express.

In addition to Gardeners' World, Monty has hosted several other programmes including Monty Don's Paradise Gardens, coverage of the Chelsea Flower Show, Around the World in 80 Gardens, and Big Dreams, Small Spaces, often accompanied by his charming dogs. Despite battling health issues, Monty continues to be a prominent TV personality.

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But what's known about his life away from the camera? Born in Iserlohn, West Germany, Monty grew up in Hampshire and went through various schools before studying English at Magdalene College. It was there he met his wife-to-be, Sarah Erskine, feeling an "intense attraction" despite her being married at the time.

Monty and Sarah were once the proud owners of a trendy jewellery store, Monty Don Jewellery, which was renowned for its costume jewellery. The brand was at the height of its success, with its products featured in high-end stores like Harrods, Harvey Nichols, and Liberty, as well as in the pages of Vogue.

However, the 1987 Wall Street financial crash led to a dramatic turn of events, and the couple lost everything. In their 2004 autobiography, The Jewel Garden, Monty recalled the devastating experience of bankruptcy, describing how they felt "like lambs to the slaughter" as their fortunes dwindled, forcing them to sell all their possessions, including their furniture, at Leominster Market.

Sarah reflected on the dire situation, saying: "A bad situation got worse every day. The banks wanted their money and started to bounce our cheques whilst simultaneously adding their charges - and interest on them - to the tally. Of course, it could not go on. Something had to give. As it turned out, that something proved to be our shop, our business, our savings, our furniture - and our home."

Following this setback, Monty embarked on a new career in journalism, writing a gardening column for the Mail on Sunday, securing a book deal, and presenting a live gardening segment on This Morning. He went on to present various shows, including Holiday, Tomorrow's World, and several Channel 4 programmes such as Real Gardens, Lost Gardens, and Don Roaming.

Monty, who replaced Alan Titchmarsh on BBC's Gardeners' World in 2003, has been candid about his struggles with mental health including "unhealable depression" after his jewellery business went bankrupt. The revered gardening pundit has talked openly about the profound impact this depression had on both himself and his family, to the point where his children questioned, "Why is daddy always crying?".

He has also discussed how he manages seasonal affective disorder (SAD), highlighting that November and December are particularly challenging months for him. Appearing on Kate Thornton’s White Wine Question Time podcast, Monty admitted: "I was long ago diagnosed with SAD – there's no question about it, that November and December are always the worst time for me – I can't bear them."

Monty stressed the effects of seasonality on his wellbeing, saying, "It's a lot to do with the greyness, the lack of light and the general sense of the world just pressing in on you and no energy."

The broadcaster had to step away from Gardener's World in 2008 due to a minor stroke, taking several months off to recuperate. More recently, an unspecified illness led to the cancellation of shows and a three-day hospital stay. He credits gardening with providing a therapeutic respite, helping him cope better with depressive episodes.

"I was rushed to A&E. I was kept in at the hospital over Saturday, Sunday, and Monday and had to have drips and all the rest of it," he said.

Monty's twin sister, Alison, almost died when she was 19. She was involved in a car crash that left her blind and broke her neck.

Monty shared the story of Alison's accident with The Times in September 2020. He explained: "She made what was deemed a miraculous recovery and got the use of one eye back, after endless operations. [She also regained the use of] one hand, and could walk with a stick. [She] went on to get married and have children."

Monty married wife Sarah in 1983 and they have three children together, Adam, Freya and Tom. The pair first met at Cambridge University while Sarah's first husband was away on his lengthy field trip.

According to Monty, the pair soon found they enjoyed spending time together "in a completely platonic innocent way". The pair's feelings for each other grew stronger over the weeks that followed, however, leaving them facing a dilemma.

During an interview last year on the podcast White Wine Question Time, he confessed the beginning of their love story was obviously "complicated". Monty recalled: "I don't think it was love at first sight. I think it was intense attraction at first sight.

"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. 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'. It never crossed my mind that it could be anything else. It wasn't like I was trying to pinch someone else's wife - there was no question of that."

The couple now reside in Longmeadow with their two beloved dogs, who occasionally make appearances on Gardeners' World - Ned, a Golden Retriever, and Patti, a Yorkshire terrier.

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