Monty Don has been mentoring a new presenter in recent months and issued a stark warning to him about the impact fame could have on his life and his marriage
Matt Jackson Trendswatch Content Editor
18:00, 26 Sep 2025
Monty Don had a word of warning for his colleague(Image: Getty)
Monty Don had a star warning for one of this Gardeners’ World’s colleagues before they had a brutal reality check. The 70-year-old has been mentoring emerging presenter Jamie Butterworth over recent months.
Jamie, 30, worked alongside Monty on the Radio 2 Dog Garden at this year’s RHS Chelsea Flower Show, having previously won gold himself three years ago. His debut on Gardeners’ World was last April, and he even co-hosted the BBC’s Chelsea coverage with Monty.
This collaboration led to a coffee meeting where Monty shared his wisdom. During their chat, Jamie reveals that Monty told him he must “master the craft” to find success in television.
Jamie also shared that Monty gave him a word of caution about the potential impact of a broadcasting career. Speaking to The Times, he said: “Monty sat me down and told me to be prepared that being on TV will change my entire life, and that my wife, Devon, needs to be on board with it.”
His perspective changed dramatically when he joined Monty at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show press day. He continued: “But I thought, how hard can it be?
Jamie worked with Monty at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show(Image: Rachel Warne/Dorling Kindersley/PA)
“Until I saw how mobbed he was at Chelsea press day – everybody wanted a piece of him. He even had a bouncer. Monty’s iconic.”
Working with Monty is among the “best experiences” of his life, according to Jamie. He even credits Monty with igniting his passion for gardening.
At the tender age of nine, he ambitiously bought 1,000 cornflower seeds with the intention of selling them for £1 each after being inspired by Gardeners’ World. However, his plan didn’t quite pan out as expected.
He confessed: “I thought it looked quite fun. It didn’t work, embarrassingly. Don’t tell Monty.”
Jamie has a host of famous clients(Image: undefined)
Despite this early setback, Jamie remained resolute. At just 16, he made it to the finals of BBC Three’s Young Gardener of the Year and subsequently honed his skills at RHS Garden Wisley.
Today, Jamie runs his own business, Form Plants, which began as a humble shipping container on an industrial estate. As his venture grew, he realised the need for larger premises.
He has since cultivated a celebrity following with “luxury brands” and notable figures such as Nigel Slater and Tony Blair visiting his nursery. Jamie views gardening as the “greatest leveller” and maintains that “anyone can garden” regardless of their background.
His illustrious clientele includes King Charles, who, upon meeting Jamie at the Chelsea Flower Show, remarked, “I know Jamie,” before enquiring about an upcoming delivery. While many might feel anxious about catering to the King, Jamie reveals that it was actually working alongside Monty that made him “really worried.”
He admits he was originally concerned that the BBC presenter would receive all the recognition while Jamie carried out the hard work. However, he notes that Monty “got really stuck in” during the entire garden planting process.
When he’s not appearing on Gardeners’ World, Jamie is regularly heard on BBC Radio London and Talk Radio, where he often chats about all aspects of gardening.
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