BBC Gardeners’ World presenting veteran Monty Don recently spoke out about the utter devastation that befell his old, timber-framed Herefordshire home. It came after the broadcaster posted to social media several images and tweets of his house ravaged by an extreme storm. Much of the UK has experienced an intense heatwave and subsequent rainstorms in recent weeks.
Although a welcome relief, heavy rainfall flattened Monty’s plants as well as flooding his picturesque home.
The 63-year-old television star had to make “frantic repairs” to his garden to fix the damage, as he had a photographer visiting that afternoon.
It is unclear what items of Monty’s were damaged in the downpour.
What would have thrown many others into despair, Monty appears to have dealt with well – he has become known for his can do and positive attitude while presenting Gardeners’ World never shying away from a tough job or problem.
However, this “yes man” trait has, Monty admitted during a 2009 Guardian interview, niggled away negatively at his life over the years.
It came as Monty lingered on how his work had impacted upon his wife Sarah and his children.
He said: “Ask Sarah what the worst thing is about living with me and she would probably say that I always put work above everything else, to the detriment of my children, my wife, my health, my life.
“And what I am really bad at is saying no.”
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For two years their unemployment was deep rooted.
At the end of a jobless season, Monty struck gold and managed a slot on a TV gardening segment in the early Nineties.
The family, Monty admitted in a 2016 Radio Times interview, nearly “lost everything”.
He said: “I still think about when we lost everything.
“Once you’ve had that experience, you know that what seems like an impregnable position can disappear overnight.
“Mine is a big operation to keep running, and it’s fuelled by me.
“That said, my mental health has been great the last few years.
“I am very well and happy. I have an incredibly good marriage and lovely children.
“I do a job that is jolly tiring and I work very hard, but I really enjoy it and I think I’m quite good at it.”