Gardeners’ World presenter Monty Don has been the main man on the show for almost 20 years, and he revealed to fans some of the things that go on behind the scenes
Robin Cottle Assistant Editor Trendswatch
06:30, 12 Sep 2024
Monty Don told fans what really goes on behind the scenes(Image: Brentwood Gazette)
Monty Don, the presenter of Gardeners’ World, has revealed some of the show’s biggest secrets, including why he always sports a scarf and an incident where producers hosed him down before filming. The gardening legend, who has been the main face of the popular BBC programme since 2003, with a break from 2008 to 2011 due to illness, shared some behind-the-scenes insights into the production of the show.
Speaking on the Gardeners’ World podcast, Monty explained to Nikki Chapman the reason behind his consistent wardrobe choices. He said: “You may have noticed I’m wearing blue today as I always am. It’s for continuity.
“So when I pack my bags tomorrow afternoon to go to Scotland. I will pack six identical shirts, two or three identical trousers, a couple of identical jackets, and 14 pairs of identical socks.”
Monty has been Gardeners’ World’s main presenter since 2003(Image: BBC/Glenn Dearing)
Monty also let fans in on why he is always seen donning his signature scarf, a tip he received over two decades ago.
He added: “Because we film out of sequence, that’s the reason I always wear a scarf when filming.
“Because if you see me in a crowd, even if I get the other things a bit wrong, if I’ve got the scarf the same, you overlook the fact the shirt might have a collar or not have a collar, or might be a different shade of blue.
You’ll usually see Monty wearing blue on screen(Image: BBC/Glenn Dearing/Geffrye Museum)
“It was a trick that someone told me about 20 odd years ago, that if you have a hat, a bag or a scarf that’s what people notice.”
Filming gardening shows can have its downsides, as Monty shared with listeners about an incident earlier this year.
Continuity proved to be a challenge for the TV presenter, as producers took drastic measures to ensure Monty looked the same at the end of the shot as at the beginning, after filming was interrupted by a heavy downpour.
The TV veteran spilled some of the show’s secrets(Image: BBC/Blink Films)
He explained: “We were filming and the rain was pouring down. The camera got wet so we had to stop, luckily the electronics were OK.
“The producers said ‘we’ve started this shot, we’ve got to finish it’. So we set the camera back up, got a hose out and someone stood there and hosed me down because of the continuity.
“Otherwise I would have gone in wet and come out dry.”