Monty Don says final goodbye to Gardeners’ World after 23 years
After 23 years and around 700 episodes, Monty Don has said an emotional goodbye to BBC Gardeners’ World.
The 71-year-old presented his final regular episode on Friday night on BBC Two, signing off from Longmeadow, his garden in Herefordshire, with his golden retriever Ned at his side.
“From myself, Ned, and Longmeadow it’s the final goodbye,” he told viewers, according to the BBC Media Centre. He reflected that the garden had grown over the years, and that his dogs Nigel, Nellie and Pattie had “been and gone”, but said one thing had stayed the same: the “incredible privilege and pleasure” of sharing his gardening life with the audience.
He ended simply: “So, thank you… good luck with your own gardens in the future. So, for the last time. Goodbye.”
From Berryfields to Longmeadow
Don took over as the programme’s main presenter in 2003, initially filming at Berryfields, a rented garden in Stratford-upon-Avon. In 2011 the show moved to Longmeadow, which became one of the most familiar gardens in Britain over the following 16 years.
He announced in September that this series would be his last. In a statement at the time, reported by BBC News, he called the job “a deeply rewarding experience” but said “now is the right time for a change”. The BBC said he had “inspired and guided millions of viewers with his warmth, wisdom and passion for gardening”.
Rather than a big send-off, the final episode followed a typical autumn routine, with sowing, gathering windfall apples and planting a last “bulb lasagne”, the Hereford Times reported.
Not quite the end
Don is not disappearing from screens. He confirmed during the episode that he will remain part of the BBC’s presenting team for next year’s RHS Chelsea Flower Show, and he will appear in two Gardeners’ World winter specials before Christmas, including a look back at his years on the show.
The BBC has not named a permanent successor, and says details of the next series will be announced later. Names such as Adam Frost and Frances Tophill have been linked to the role, though nothing has been confirmed.
Don has also said he will keep gardening at Longmeadow, “dog by side”, while pursuing other projects — meaning his many fans have not seen the last of him yet.
