Monty Don has announced he is stepping down from Gardeners' World after 23 years as the BBC programme's longest-serving Head Gardener, confirming the current series will be his last. The 71-year-old broke the news in an Instagram video, saying "it's time for a change" after presenting nearly 700 episodes, including 16 years broadcasting from his own garden, Longmeadow, in Herefordshire. His departure marks the end of an era for the long-running show and comes as he continues to recover from knee surgery undergone in late 2025.

Don joined the programme in 2003 and became a fixture of British gardening television, telling fans he had "treasured" his connection with millions of viewers worldwide. He underwent a painful knee replacement after decades of kneeling in the garden left him barely able to walk, and had previously said he would need surgery on his other knee, possibly in late 2027. Earlier this year he had suggested he was in talks to continue hosting until 2028, but says he now plans to keep working with the BBC on other projects, including writing more books, while remaining based at Longmeadow.