Monty Don is best known for his role as the lead presenter of the BBC’s Gardeners’ World, but his life hasn’t always been filled with blooming flowers and lush greenery
Julia Banim Audience Writer and Jane Lavender
08:54, 31 Oct 2025
Monty Don is the face of Gardeners’ World(Image: Brentwood Gazette)
Monty Don, the cherished host of Gardener’s World, seems to have been born with a green thumb. It’s difficult for his admirers to picture him anywhere other than amidst vibrant blossoms and verdant foliage.
However, the journey to horticultural stardom for this popular broadcaster has been far from straightforward. He has grappled with bankruptcy and mental health issues, which have taken a significant toll on him and his family.
Before he unearthed his love for flora, Monty’s career led him down an entirely different avenue. He rubbed shoulders with top-tier celebrities and even members of the Royal family.
Despite his initial endeavours not bearing fruit, they paved the way for him to flourish into the gardening authority that enthusiasts turn to today, reports the Express.
Business adored by Princess Diana went under
In the 1980s, Monty and his wife, Sarah Erskine, were proprietors of a fashionable jewellery shop named Monty Don Jewellery. The boutique primarily sold costume jewellery, according to the Mirror.
At its zenith, their jewels could be found in upscale shops around the globe, including Harrods, Harvey Nichols, and Liberty, or featured in Vogue.
Monty Don with his wife Sarah Erskine(Image: Popperfoto via Getty Images)
In a 2005 article for The Independent, Monty wrote: “Costume jewellery has its value entirely from its design and appearance, not from the cost of its materials. Our jewellery is still in the VandA. When we were flying, we were really flying. At our best, we were the best in the world at what we did. But we were never quite as successful as our publicity convinced other people – and ourselves – that we were. We were hopelessly under-capitalised and borrowing constantly.”
Their client list boasted celebrities including Boy George and Michael Jackson, whilst Princess Diana was also rumoured to have been amongst their customers. Yet their fortunes dramatically reversed after the 1987 Wall Street financial crash, leaving the entrepreneurial pair with nothing.
In their 2004 joint autobiography The Jewel Garden, Monty spoke openly about their bankruptcy, describing how they felt “like lambs to the slaughter” when their circumstances changed, being compelled to sell “every stick of furniture” they possessed at Leominster Market.
Sarah said: “A bad situation got worse every day. The banks wanted their money and started to bounce our cheques whilst simultaneously adding their charges – and interest on them – to the tally. Of course, it could not go on. Something had to give. As it turned out, that something proved to be our shop, our business, our savings, our furniture – and our home.”
Battle with ‘unhealable’ depression
Monty’s personal and financial struggles began to weigh heavily on him, leading to what he described as “unhealable depression”.
His depression became so severe that it raised concerns for Sarah about their children’s wellbeing, who started asking: “Why is daddy always crying?”.
Explaining how he sought help during this painful time, Monty shared: “[In the end] I went to see a healer. I can’t remember if he was an herbalist, acupuncturist, homoeopath or white-coated faith healer, but I liked him. He had me abstain from tea, coffee and alcohol and described my various symptoms with unerring accuracy. […] After a few months of this puritanical regime they told me I was unhealable.”
The healer suggested that Monty’s best path to finding happiness again would be to find solace in nature, a passion that has since blossomed into a highly successful career.
During a candid BBC interview about his mental health struggles, Monty revealed: “I have for many years, suffered from depression, which comes and goes but tends to be something that is worse in winter. And, touch wood, it’s been much better for the last few years. But for me, the benefits of nature are all about the physical connection with the rhythm of the natural world.
“Some of that rhythm is bleak – winter is cold. And yet even if inside you are bleak and grey and cold, if you believe that spring will blossom inside you, as well as outside in the garden, that’s powerful. So that’s how it works for me.”
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