Monty Don will present Gardeners' World for the final time on Friday 6 November, closing a run of 23 years on the BBC programme. The 71-year-old announced the date in an update posted on the show's Instagram page, according to the BBC. The corporation had already confirmed in September that he would step down when the current series ended.
In the Instagram message, Don said the coming Friday would be his last episode and noted that he had started on the programme 23 years ago. He also said that filming in the garden with his dogs had run for 16 years and had now reached its conclusion. He described the programme as excellent as ever and said taking part in it had been a privilege.
The BBC paid tribute to Don, saying that since he joined in 2003 he had inspired and guided millions of viewers through his warmth, knowledge and enthusiasm for gardening.
Why it matters
Don's departure marks the end of one of the longest presenter tenures in British gardening television. He became the face of a programme that has run for decades and, according to the BBC, reached audiences far beyond the UK. His statement in September put the scale of that work at roughly 700 episodes.
The show also became closely tied to a single place during his time in charge. Gardeners' World was filmed at Berryfields, a rented garden in Stratford-upon-Avon, when Don took over. In 2011 production moved to Longmeadow, his own garden in Herefordshire, where it has been based since. That shift made his personal plot a regular fixture for viewers, and the 16 years of filming there that he referenced in his Instagram update cover most of his time as host.
A farewell framed as a change, not a retirement
When the BBC announced his exit in September, Don said his time on the programme had been deeply rewarding but that the moment had come for something different. In a statement at the time, he said he had been fortunate to share his long-standing enthusiasm for gardens with an audience that was just as keen and often just as well informed.
He described the bond with viewers in Britain and around the world who care about gardens, plants and the natural world as something he had always valued, and said he had come to see that connection as central to a life lived well. He also spoke of his enjoyment of the craft of making programmes and thanked the BBC team he had worked with across the years.
Don indicated then that he expected to keep working with the BBC on other projects and to explore new opportunities. He added that he would carry on gardening at Longmeadow with a dog at his side.
The Instagram update repeated the tone of that earlier statement rather than adding new reasons for the decision. Don did not give a specific explanation for the timing beyond his September remark that a change was due, and the BBC has not named a successor.
What to watch
The final episode airs on Friday 6 November, after which the BBC is expected to set out how the programme will look without Don at the helm.
