Monty Don is best known for his work presenting Gardeners; World, giving gardening tips to avid viewers year round.
Thousands of budding gardeners watched the show during the pandemic seeking advice from the horticulturist OBE.
Now 66, Monty has hosted the show on BBC 2 for over two decades but he has had to take medical leave on multiple occasions due to serious health scares.
READ MORE: Monty Don reveals wife’s blunt words that made him get help with his mental health
Whilst filming Around the World in 80 Gardens, Monty had a near-death experience with peritonitis.
The potentially fatal illness is an infection of the stomach’s inner lining which covers the bowel, liver, and kidneys.
Speaking to Amateur Gardening magazine, he said: “My wife found me collapsed. If she had not found me I would have died.
“I got into an ambulance at 2am and they stuck morphine into my veins.”
Treatment for the condition can take up to two weeks but Monty eventually made a full recovery.
He also suffered a stroke at a later date.
Get the latest London news straight on your phone without having to open your browser – and get all the latest breaking news as notifications on your screen.
The MyLondon app gives you all the stories you need to help you keep on top of what’s happening in the best city ever.
You can download it on Android here and Apple here.
One morning in 2008, he awoke with a “funny feeling” but brushed off the anxiety and went for a walk around the grounds of his home in Hertfordshire.
Little did he know, he had suffered a transient ischaemic attack (TIA) or ‘mini-stroke’ while he slept.
He spoke to The Guardian about the ordeal in 2009, saying: “I was so exhausted I did not know whether I was coming or going. I remember waking up feeling strange and dizzy.
“I said to my wife Sarah, ‘God, something funny is happening; I may be having a stroke.’ We weren’t thinking: this is a disaster. I said, ‘Hang on, I can move my fingers.’ I remember thinking, ‘Oh, get a grip, you’re fine’.”
“I turned to Sarah and said ‘Hold me because I think I’m dying and, if I am, I want to die in your arms’.
After tests in hospital, he was told he had suffered a TIA, which is usually caused by a blockage in the brain resulting in a disruption to its blood supply.
MyLondon’s brilliant new newsletter The 12 is packed with news, views, features and opinion from across the city.
Every day we’ll send you a free email at around 12pm with 12 stories to keep you entertained, informed and uplifted. It’s the perfect lunchtime read.
The MyLondon team tells London stories for Londoners. Our 45 journalists cover all the news you need – from City Hall to your local streets.
Never miss a moment by signing up to The 12 newsletter here.
Afterwards, he took some time away from the show to recover:
He said to viewers: “I am proud to have led Gardeners’ World for the past five years and have enjoyed every minute of sharing my passion with the programme’s viewers.
“I intend to take some gardening leave for the rest of the summer to make a full recovery and so that I am ready to tackle new projects.”
He is presenting Gardeners’ World at 8.30pm this Friday as normal.
Want more from MyLondon? Sign up for our daily newsletters for all the latest and greatest from across London here.
Got a story you think we should write? Get in touch [email protected].
Read More
Related Articles
Read More
Related Articles
https://www.mylondon.news/news/celebs/bbc-gardeners-world-monty-dons-21714591
