BBC Gardeners’ World star Monty Don shares ‘I’ve struggled’ as he lifts lid on long-term health battle: ‘Since teenage years’
Beloved Gardeners’ World presenter Monty Don has opened up about his decades-long battle with depression during a candid interview.
The 69-year-old gardening expert shared his mental health journey with BBC host Nikki Bedi, revealing his struggles began in his youth.
Don has hosted the long-running gardening programme for over 20 years, replacing Alan Titchmarsh at the helm in 2003.
“All things being equal, and unless I do something terribly wrong, I will be doing it for at least another three years, including this year,” he said in December.
However, he has now admitted: “Over the years I’ve struggled with depression. With hindsight, since my teenage years.”
In the heartfelt conversation, Don also emphasised the therapeutic benefits of connecting with nature, particularly through hands-on gardening activities.
“For me connecting with the soil, the soil is really important to me, literally putting my hands in the soil and feeling that, planting things,” he said.
The gardening expert highlighted the importance of outdoor exposure, stating: “But getting outside, seeing the sunrise if possible, and sunset and walking, I’m looking out the window now, talking to you and it’s great and the branches are bleak and bare, but I know if I go out there, I’ll feel better.”
He noted the scientific backing for outdoor activities, adding: “There’s a lot of good work done on this, that exercise outdoors is really good medicine.”
During the interview, Don also discussed his experience with Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), a condition he has previously spoken about openly.
The gardening expert shared his method for managing SAD symptoms by travelling to warmer destinations during winter months.
Speaking on the Travel Diaries podcast last year, he explained: “A few weeks of that (going abroad during the winter months) has a profound effect. If you can afford it, or organise it, that really makes a difference.”
According to the NHS, Seasonal Affective Disorder, also known as ‘winter depression’, is a form of depression that varies with seasonal changes.
The condition, while still not fully understood, is thought to be brought on by a reduced exposure to sunlight during the shorter autumn and winter days.
This causes a deficiency of key hormones – Melatonin, a lack of which can cause sleepiness, and Seratonin, which can affects mood, appetite and sleep patterns when in low supply.
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Disruption to the body’s internal clock, or circadian rhythm, caused by lower light levels during winter can also prompt SAD.
It manifests through various symptoms, including persistent low mood, changes in sleep patterns, and decreased energy levels.
Research indicates that approximately 5 per cent of the UK population is affected by SAD.