Monty Don has bravely shared the details of his battle with depression, revealing how it took a toll on his marriage and career. The beloved gardener, now 70, opened up to Gyles Brandreth on The Rosebud Podcast, recounting how the failure of his jewelry business sent him spiraling into a “shameful” depression that nearly tore his family apart.
The turning point came when his wife, Sarah Erskine, who he married in 1983, gave him an ultimatum: get help, or she would leave with their three children. Sarah told Monty, “I’m with you, I love you, but we can’t go on living with you like this.”
Monty, known for his role as a gardening expert, described the moment Sarah threatened to leave as a breaking point. “That would have killed me,” he admitted. “I couldn’t let that happen.”
Monty Don has shed light on his depression battle and how his mental health affected his marriage and career
The iconic gardener, 70, spoke to Gyles Brandreth on The Rosebud Podcast about how the failure of his jewellery business led him into a ‘shameful’ hole of depression – which saw his wife Sarah Erskine, whom he married in 1983, threaten to leave him (Monty and Sarah pictured in 2010)
In response, he sought professional help, and a doctor prescribed him Prozac. The change was almost immediate. “I remember washing the dishes and suddenly noticing how beautiful the light was on the leaves outside,” he recalled. “For the first time in a long while, I felt okay.”
He explained the doctor then prescribed him with the antidepressant: ‘Anyway, he put me on Prozac, and after about ten days I remember washing up at the kitchen sink and noticing how beautiful the light was on the leaves in the hedge opposite’
Monty admitted that Prozac gave him the clarity he had been missing for years, and for six months, he felt like he was on holiday, basking in the warmth of the sun. But after a while, he questioned whether the medication was still effective. “I didn’t know how I felt anymore. Was it the drug, or had I just gotten better?”
Fame also played an unexpected role in Monty’s recovery. After the BBC offered him a life-changing series, Around the World in 80 Gardens, he found solace in the professional engagement and validation that fame brought him. “Fame really suits you,” Sarah told him, and he agreed. “Being applauded and appreciated, it’s good for your health. It’s like sunshine,” Monty explained.
The famous gardener also shared a deeply personal story about his childhood battle with cancer. At just 10 years old, Monty was diagnosed with marrow cancer after a painful fall during school. He had surgery and radiotherapy, but he considers himself lucky that the cancer hadn’t spread.
Through it all, Monty Don has emerged stronger, crediting his recovery not just to medicine, but also to the support of his family, fame, and the comfort of his beloved gardens.
