Monty Don quits Gardeners’ World after 23 years at the helm as he prepares to undergo further knee surgery after decades of pain
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Monty Don has confirmed he is stepping down from Gardeners' World, announcing on Tuesday via an Instagram video that the current series will be his last after 23 years as the BBC programme's longest-serving Head Gardener. The 71-year-old presenter, who as recently as March said he was in talks to continue hosting until 2028, said "it's time for a change" and that there would be "no doubt new adventures in the future" once this chapter closes. The announcement comes as he continues to recover from a "horribly painful" knee replacement in late 2025 and reportedly prepares for further surgery on his other knee, following decades of strain from kneeling in the garden.
Don joined the show in 2003, moving to broadcast from his own garden, Longmeadow in Herefordshire, from 2011 onwards, and has fronted roughly 700 episodes over 16 years there. In his statement he said he had "treasured" his connection with millions of viewers in Britain and worldwide, and thanked the BBC production team, adding that he plans to keep working with the broadcaster on other projects, write more books and continue gardening at Longmeadow. He previously told Saga Magazine that his knee replacement recovery had been "inexplicably" painful, though three months on he was gardening again and had stopped using a walking stick.
- Monty Don announced Tuesday he is leaving Gardeners' World after 23 years.
- Departure follows painful knee surgery and expected further surgery ahead.
- He plans to keep working with the BBC on other projects and books.
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Monty Don has spent 23 years fronting Gardeners' World on the BBC, presenting nearly 700 episodes and becoming the programme's longest-serving Head Gardener. For the past 16 years he has broadcast from his own garden, Longmeadow, in Herefordshire, making the two closely associated with each other in viewers' minds.
Now aged 71, Don has had ongoing health problems linked to years of kneeling and working outdoors, which led to a knee replacement operation in late 2025. He had previously indicated he might carry on presenting for several more years, so his decision to stand down marks a change from what he had earlier suggested.
Gardeners' World is a long-running BBC gardening series watched by a large audience in the UK and abroad, and Don has been its most recognisable face for over two decades. His departure is significant because it ends a long, stable period for the show and raises questions about who might take over presenting duties in future.
Full account
Monty Don has announced he is stepping down from Gardeners' World after 23 years fronting the BBC programme, confirming that the series currently being broadcast from his Herefordshire garden will be his last as host. The 71-year-old, who has become the show's longest-serving presenter, revealed the decision this week, saying simply that the time had come for a change after more than two decades in the role.
Don began presenting the programme in 2003, initially filming at a garden known as Berryfields, before the show moved to his own garden, Longmeadow, in 2011, where it has remained for the past 16 years. Across his tenure he is estimated to have fronted around 700 episodes. He shared the news in a video posted to Instagram alongside one of his golden retrievers, telling viewers that while this marked the end of a chapter, further projects and 'new adventures' lay ahead. In a fuller statement he reflected on the privilege of sharing his passion for gardening with a knowledgeable and loyal audience both in Britain and internationally, describing that connection as something he had always valued deeply.
The announcement comes after a difficult period for Don physically: in late 2025 he underwent knee surgery that he described as extremely painful, a consequence, he said, of decades spent kneeling while gardening. His departure also marks a notable change of heart, since as recently as March he had told Saga Magazine that he could not envisage retiring and was in discussions with the BBC about continuing to host the show until at least 2028, saying he did not know what retirement would even look like for him.
Don said he intended to keep working with the BBC on other programmes and projects, alongside pursuing further writing and continuing to garden at Longmeadow with his dogs. BBC executives paid tribute to his contribution: chief content officer Kate Phillips praised him as a uniquely engaging and calming broadcaster, and thanked him for his openness about his struggles with depression and his advocacy for the mental health benefits of gardening, while long-time series editor Sharon Fisher, who worked alongside him for two decades, spoke of his warmth, integrity and the inspiration he had given millions of viewers.
Where outlets differ
Source 1 (tabloid-style report) places greater emphasis on Don's personal health struggles — the 'horribly painful' knee surgery and decades of kneeling — and highlights the apparent contradiction with his March comments about wanting to continue presenting until 2028.
Source 2 (broadsheet-style report) focuses more on the BBC's institutional response, quoting named executives Kate Phillips and Sharon Fisher at length, and foregrounds Don's openness about depression and mental health rather than his physical health issues.
Source 1 includes more direct quotation from Don's own statement and Instagram video; Source 2 gives more detail on the production side, including how long Sharon Fisher has worked with him.
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