The face of Gardeners’ World has opened up about his life at home with his wife Sarah, admitting that she has always referred to him by his real name
Monty Don, the beloved face of Gardeners’ World, has opened up about his life at home with his wife Sarah, admitting that she never calls him Monty.
The horticulturalist offered a rare glimpse of his life away from the cameras on Virtually Parkinson, a podcast hosted by an AI-generated version of the late TV great Sir Michael Parkinson.
Monty told listeners: “When I’m at home, I’m Montagu. And my wife, for example, has never called me Monty, my mother never called me Monty. I’m always Montagu.”
He went on to explain how he maintains a clear boundary between his public and private lives, adding: “It’s a completely separate life, my home life has no connection with my public life at all in so much that, you know, there’s no need for them to cross over.”
Despite this separation, Monty acknowledges the incredible experiences his career in the limelight has afforded him, reports the Liverpool ECHO.
He said: “But the enrichment is there. The fact that I’ve had the privilege to go all over the world, and talk to so many people, and see so many amazing gardens, it’s something that I never would have had the opportunity to do and that feeds into my home life.”
Fans of Gardeners’ World were recently thrilled to hear that Monty committed to the show for an additional two years from January 2025, as he revealed to the Radio Times.
“I never make plans beyond two years, but I’ve agreed to do another two (from January 2025),” he said.
“Every time I think, ‘Am I really going to do this?’ But the truth is that I do enjoy it. I’m lucky because it’s in my own garden. If the programme is made well, I’ll continue.”
The beloved green-fingered presenter Monty has established himself as a gardening icon over the years, having been a regular feature on ITV’s This Morning with his very own gardening segment since 1989. However, it was in 2003 when he truly blossomed into fame by taking over from Alan Titchmarsh on BBC’s Gardeners’ World.
Monty Don’s British Gardens broadcasts tonight (Friday, February 7) at 8pm on BBC Two.
