Gardeners’ World presenter Monty Don has been married to his wife for over 40 years and their journey includes financial ruin and personal struggles
Joe Crutchley Screen Time reporter
08:41, 13 Mar 2026Updated 08:42, 13 Mar 2026
Gardeners’ World Monty Don and rarely-seen wife’s romance including ‘losing everything'(Image: BBC)
Monty Don, the beloved presenter of ‘Gardeners’ World,’ has been a familiar face on British television for decades, but his wife remains largely out of the spotlight.
The 70 year old rose to prominence in the 1980s and has since established himself as one of the nation’s most cherished gardening experts.
Beyond his role on ‘Gardeners’ World,’ which he has fronted since 2003, Monty has also presented ‘Monty Don’s Paradise Gardens,’ coverage of the Chelsea Flower Show, ‘Around the World in 80 Gardens’ and ‘Big Dreams, Small Spaces’.
Off camera, Monty enjoys a happy marriage with his wife, who rarely appears in public. But what’s known about their relationship?
Here, we delve into the story of Monty and his wife’s life together, reports the Mirror.
Monty Don and wife’s ‘difficult’ beginning
Monty has been married for several years(Image: Corbis via Getty Images)
Monty first encountered his wife Sarah whilst studying at Cambridge University, where she was already involved with someone else. Speaking on the White Wine Question Time podcast in 2023, he recalled: “I don’t think it was love at first sight. I think it was an intense attraction at first sight. Her husband was someone that I rode with and knew very well, and that was the case for about six months when I’d meet them socially.”
Monty emphasised he hadn’t deliberately pursued a married woman, explaining it wasn’t a conscious decision on his part. During Sarah’s husband’s four-month field trip, she and Monty grew closer “in a completely platonic innocent way”. As their connection deepened, Sarah was confronted with a difficult decision.
The ‘Gardeners’ World’ presenter revealed: “You know that thing when you’re very attracted to somebody you don’t go too close to them, or you don’t dare show too much interest or whatever. It turned out that we both felt the same way. But she was married to someone else and so it was very difficult.”
When Sarah made the decision to end her marriage, it created a “difficult, unhappy tormented set-up”. Monty recalled: “She decided that she absolutely didn’t want to sort of have an affair. She chose me and it was for about six months an extremely difficult, unhappy tormented setup because he obviously was not very happy with that arrangement. He completely reasonably felt betrayed and very, very, very angry.”
Monty and Sarah’s wedding
The pair tied the knot in 1983(Image: CHANNEL FOUR)
Following their hearts, the couple wed in 1983 at Finsbury Registry Office in London, after Monty proposed on a secluded Scottish island.
“We got married in Finsbury Registry Office and then had this lunch in L’Escargot, and that was it, we never had a honeymoon,” Monty disclosed on the podcast. The pair went on to welcome three children: Adam, Tom, and Freya.
In 2022, Monty posted an uncommon photograph from their wedding day on Instagram, capturing the newlyweds outside ornate iron gates just after exchanging vows.
Monty wore a black spotted tie paired with a neutral-toned suit, whilst his bride opted against traditional white, choosing instead a bold cornflower blue jacket with distinctive buttons.
Monty on ‘losing everything’
Monty previously revealed their struggles(Image: Getty Images)
Monty and Sarah endured significant hardship during the early years of their marriage following the 1987 financial crash. In an interview with the Times, Monty recalled: “We lost everything: our house, business, furniture. (The jewellery business he ran with his wife collapsed after the crash).”
He continued: “For about two years, we literally had no money. I was claiming the dole. We were severely in debt. We didn’t go bankrupt. With hindsight, maybe we were stupid – maybe we should have just said: ‘We can’t do this.’ It took me seven years to pay it all back. It was very difficult.”
The 1987 financial crash, commonly referred to as Black Monday, represented a worldwide, devastating and largely unforeseen stock market collapse that triggered concerns about prolonged global economic uncertainty.
However, Monty and Sarah successfully recovered from their dire financial circumstances. In 1989, Monty began contributing a column to the Mail on Sunday and subsequently presented a live gardening slot on This Morning.
Monty’s wife’s ultimatum
His wife gave him a stern ultimatum(Image: BBC)
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Monty has also previously disclosed that his wife Sarah issued him with an ultimatum after he struggled with Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD). This condition substantially impacts people’s mental health depending on seasonal variations.
Whilst speaking on the White Wine Question Time podcast, he shared how Sarah’s intervention led him to seek professional help. He recalled: “Sarah said to me, ‘Look, I just can’t take any longer your moods and your black depression, you’ve got to do something about it because if you don’t, I can’t live with you – I’ll take the children and I’ll go’.”
After this wake-up call, Monty sought medical advice and was prescribed anti-depressants. However, he has since transitioned from medication to using a light box treatment.
Gardeners’ World airs on Friday on BBC Two at 8:00pm
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