Monty Don has spoken about his health (Image: Getty)
For decades, television personality and horticultural expert Monty Don has captivated and informed viewers on gardening topics across the nation. However, the Gardeners’ World host has revealed that his lifelong dedication has taken a toll on his health, particularly affecting his knees.
For many years, Monty Don, a beloved TV host and gardening guru, has both entertained and educated audiences nationwide on all things horticulture. Yet, this passion has come at a cost to his well-being, particularly impacting the health of his knees.
Writing candidly in BBC Gardeners’ World magazine, the 70-year-old shared that he has been struggling with knee issues for the past ten years.
Despite seeking advice from his doctor, Monty admitted to ignoring the recommendations, which ultimately led to the necessity of a double knee replacement.
He explained, “Over the past decade or more, my knees have been causing me discomfort and have been gradually wearing out. This isn’t entirely surprising or unusual.”
Monty Don has spoken about his health in recent years (Image: Getty)
He added: “I have spent 70 years kneeling on them, asking them to stagger about under unreasonably heavy loads or, until 10 years ago, pounding around tarmacked roads. They have had a long, hard time of it.”
The presenter continued by describing how the condition had affected his work on Gardeners’ World, stating: “You will have rarely seen me do much serious digging, and never kneeling, over the past few series – by the end of a day’s filming, I could barely hobble to the end of the garden.”
He continued, “I’ve spent a lifetime kneeling on them, asking them to carry heavy loads, or, until a decade ago, pounding pavements. It’s no wonder they’ve been through the wringer.”
The presenter also reflected on how his condition has influenced his role on Gardeners’ World: “In recent seasons, you might have noticed I’ve done little serious digging and never knelt down – by the end of a filming day, I could barely make it to the end of the garden.”
Monty Don (Image: Jeff Spicer, Getty Images)
Despite facing the daunting prospect of bilateral knee replacement surgery, Monty reports that his recovery is progressing well and even drew a comparison to his cherished Land Rover.
He remarked: “The important thing…is that I shall be able to do things again, to get stuck in and crack on….with a fair wind and thanks to superb surgical skills, I should, like my beaten-up old Defender, keep ploughing on a bit longer.”
This is not the first occasion Monty has discussed his wellbeing, with the BBC presenter having previously been candid about living with Seasonal Affective Disorder.
Also referred to as SAD, the condition affects one’s mental health in response to seasonal changes.
During an appearance on the Gardeners’ World podcast, Monty previously shared his coping mechanisms.
He explained: “I now have a pattern whereby I try and spend one day a week on my own in the garden, which is obviously usually a weekend, one of the two weekend days.
“It’s a kind of treat I give myself. But when I say share, I don’t necessarily mean gardening with other people, which actually, personally, I don’t like very much.
“Even my wife and I, who have always gardened together, we hardly ever physically garden together, we just were in the garden at the same time.”
