At 69, BBC Gardeners’ World star Monty Don is a national treasure whose calm demeanor and gardening expertise have inspired millions.
However, behind the famous horticulturist’s successful career as a television presenter and author lies a family life marked by tragedy and resilience.
His rise to the top of his career to hold the title of the UK’s most popular gardener has been largely the result of his own initiative; after developing a sense of stoicism when tragedy struck his family when he was just a child.
The green-fingered expert suffered from bone marrow cancer, a disease that turned him into a “sickly child.”
He said later he said the guardian that it was not until he reached adulthood that he realized that he was a “robust and vigorous person.” ‘
Behind famous horticulturist Monty Don’s successful career as a television presenter and author lies a life marked by hardship, tragedy and resilience.
Monty, the youngest of five siblings along with his twin sister, Alison, revealed that his upbringing was further complicated by a strained relationship with his “very strict” parents, who died young.
His father Denis, a former commando and army heavyweight boxing champion, was a “frightening figure” who would suffer “deep depressive attacks”.
talking to The times In 2020, Monty described his father as a “scary man” who had “killed people” in the war, but who was “not in any way aggressive.”
The TV presenter added: “You didn’t mess with him and he had deep depressive attacks when he wasn’t talking to anyone.”
Recalling his teenage years, Monty admitted that his mother once asked him to remove the bolt from his father’s gun because she feared he was suicidal.
However, he expressed gratitude for the values his parents instilled in him, despite the difficult times they experienced together.
Tragedy struck Monty again in his early adulthood when his twin sister, Alison, was seriously injured in a near-fatal car accident at the age of 19.
Monty photographed with his twin sister, Alison, as babies, held by their mother, Janet Wyatt.
Monty’s twin sister Alison was seriously injured in a near-fatal car accident at the age of 19, but “miraculously recovered” (pictured, Monty and Alison as children)
Monty’s father Denis (pictured), a former commando and army heavyweight boxing champion, was a “frightening figure” who would suffer “deep depressive attacks”.
Monty and his wife Sarah enjoyed success running a costume jewelry business, until the stock market crash of 1987 devastated their finances and left them on the brink of bankruptcy.
Monty, then working as a gardener in France, was summoned home by a short but urgent telegram: “Come home.” Alison’s accident.’
Alison had a broken neck and was facing the possibility of permanent blindness; However, through multiple surgeries and immense strength, he “miraculously” recovered.
Monty said HELLO!: “He made what was considered a miraculous recovery and regained the use of one eye, after endless operations, and one hand, he could walk with a cane and he married and had children.”
When he turned 30 and settled down with his wife Sarah, the couple turned their attention to running a jewelry business. However, the stock market crash of 1987 devastated their finances and left them on the brink of bankruptcy.
In 1991, the couple, who share children Freya, Adam and Tom, were forced to sell their house for a fraction of the price, along with most of their possessions.
The financial strain affected his physical health, leaving Monty unemployed and the family dependent on benefits in 1992.
In their joint memoir The Jewel Garden, Monty reflected on this difficult time, writing: ‘My mother died and left me enough money for a deposit on a house, and we found our current house.
“It was obviously beautiful, but with no water, electricity, sanitation or interior walls and, as it turned out, the roof was about to fall in.”
He added: ‘It was declared unfit for human habitation and we rented a nearby rat-infested farm. Those were bad times.’
Despite these difficult years, Monty and Sarah persevered, and the horticulturist replaced Alan Titchmarsh as presenter of Gardeners’ World in 2003.