Monty Don opened up about a pivotal moment that helped him to turn his life around after he hit rock bottom and found himself on the dole. The 69-year-old presenter has revealed that despite his beloved role on Gardeners' World , he faced significant hidden struggles before his fame. In his younger days, Monty and his wife Sarah enjoyed a comfortable life, having purchased a stunning property in Hackney with a massive garden.
They were happily married with a baby on the way. However, their fortunes took a turn when their business failed, leaving them bankrupt. Monty began working in TV after a researcher noticed his work in You magazine and invited him for a screen test.
From October 1989, he started a weekly live segment and made films for Granada's This Morning. Despite this new opportunity, financial difficulties persisted. Monty struggled to pay off debts, with overdrafts soaring, interest rates doubling, and banks bouncing every cheque.
He was forced to survive on government benefits throughout the early 1990s. He recounted, "The overdraft soared, interest rates doubled, the banks wanted their money and bounced every cheque. It is a familiar story, and it could have been worse.
The business was voluntarily liquidated, the shop sold for a 10th of what it had cost, and television and journalistic work, caught in the depression, dried to a trickle." The British horticulturist and broadcaster candidly admitted that he broke down and cried after feeling like a failure, with h.