Monty Don has been the face of Gardeners’ World since 2003 and has become a national treasure, but the gardening expert has now shared his frustrations with the show
Matthew Davies and Matt Davies
12:05, 31 Oct 2025
Monty Don has revealed what he views as the “bane” of his life in a fiery rant(Image: Getty Images)
Monty Don has disclosed what he considers the “bane” of his existence in a passionate outburst regarding a particular element of his BBC Gardeners’ World presenting duties.
During a clip that surfaced on the Fane Productions YouTube channel earlier this year, Monty offered behind-the-scenes glimpses into the production process of the enduring BBC gardening series.
Speaking openly about his position at An Audience with Monty Don at The Forum in Bath in January, the horticulturally-minded presenter outlined how programmes must be scheduled three weeks ahead of time.
Therefore, when he strolls through his stunning Longmeadow garden to determine what he’d prefer to record, he must contemplate whether a plant will “still be looking great” in two weeks or ten days when filming takes place. He must also evaluate if it will connect with audiences “10 days after that,” reports Wales Online.
Monty shared behind-the-scenes insights about Gardeners’ World(Image: Getty Images)
Monty subsequently outlined how they’ll “thrash it out” during discussions, whilst noting they cannot duplicate content on the programme. This means that if, for instance, Monty proposes a feature about strawberries but it’s previously been covered, it won’t be approved. The same principle applies when other programmes conflict (such as a different show on a comparable subject).
Monty then turned to the so-called “jobs for the weekend.”
He said: “There are the jobs for the weekend, and I have to say, I know they’re very popular, but they are the bane of my life. I long to say, ‘Jobs for the weekend, do what the f**k you like! I don’t care.’
“I’m really glad my wife isn’t here; she wouldn’t approve of that. Obviously, I care deeply about you and your gardens, but the serious point is that, for the beginning of the year, it’s easy. Lots of jobs to do, but after a bit, you know, we all weed all the time, we mow the grass all the time, we cut the hedges sort of twice a year. You can’t repeat jobs. ‘No, no, we’ve done that.'”
Monty addressed the so-called “jobs for the weekend”(Image: Corbis via Getty Images)
In separate developments, Monty recently confided to Gardeners’ World magazine about the moment they “breathe a sigh of relief” when recording wraps up at his plot towards the end of October. The presenter disclosed that they seize the chance to “bask in the lack of pressure” for several weeks, as there’s no need to prepare for the television team’s arrival.
Monty explained: “So we all breathe a sigh of relief and for a couple of weeks we bask in the lack of pressure of not having to prepare for the arrival of the next film crew.”
However, with the harsh winter months looming, Monty observed that he’s approaching the “busiest” time in the horticultural year and “can now make a mess.”
He continued: “For a start, we can now make a mess—a luxury that we now indulge in. All the housekeeping projects that have accumulated through the year can now be tackled.”
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