Monty Don Resumes Gardeners' World Filming After Knee Surgery

Monty Don, the 70-year-old presenter of BBC's Gardeners' World, has returned to filming the long-running series after undergoing knee replacement surgery late last year, reaffirming his commitment to the program amid ongoing health challenges and a packed schedule of projects.

Don, who has hosted the show since 2003 except for a brief break between 2008 and 2011, underwent the procedure in November 2025 to replace his more damaged knee with a titanium and cobalt chrome implant. The surgery addressed a decade of joint deterioration caused by years of kneeling, heavy lifting in gardens, and earlier road running. He had ignored medical advice a decade ago to stop digging and take painkillers, a choice that worsened the condition in both knees. Scans last summer confirmed the need for replacements on both, though Don proceeded with one at a time to manage his workload.

Recovery has been slow and painful, but three months after the operation, Don reported in March 2026 that he was gardening again without a walking stick and back on set at his Longmeadow home in Herefordshire. "However you do it, a knee replacement is horribly painful, but three months on I'm gardening again and...