Monty is leaving Gardeners World

[ProfessorofDarkArts]

Couldn’t see a thread on this, just been announced. Who do people think will replace him? My money is on Frances Tophill who I quite like but not sure she has her own garden. Adam Frost has recently moved to a bigger space but I’d be very surprised if it was a straight middle aged white male this being the BBC.

@TheSerpentQuine Lets hope the producers are reading this thread, you and I might be onto something... I reckon with the help of some other ideas from PP's we could sort the next few series out for them.

I recently took early retirement, and am available for a fee.😁

What a great idea vis-a-vis doing up an NT garden or similar - then at least the great unwashed (i.e. me) would be able to look round. Or something in conjunction with the King's Trust, with horticulture students learning their craft.

The only problem could be that some of these entities rely heavily on volunteers and pay their trainees and professionals peanuts.

Not sure about a new presenter. It takes a while for a new presenter to make their mark and comparisons to Monty would be unhelpful. I like Frances, but not sure she's quite there yet. Please not James Wong. The GQT panellists have a lot of knowledge but none of them are spring chickens. I like Joe Swift.

My vote would go to Chris Beardshaw, but I don't think he does telly these days.

Joe swift would be good - he stepped back due to a personality clash with Monty I think? Or is he busy elsewhere?

Oh that would make sense, I never got the feeling they gelled when they did Chelsea together.

I get the impression Monty tolerates people, when he wants to.

I have not heard anything about Monty and Joe falling out.

But Joe as main presenter would be the end of me watching, I am not a fan.

Can't see if his name has been thrown in the hat but I like David Domoney, has an easy to follow and down to earth style.
Also like the suggestion of different garden locations, we're coastal so a completely different challenge to an inland meadow garden.
Although the BBC seems to be cutting back on lots of content so might be offering less going forward, not incorporating new ideas or expansions.

I'll miss Monty though, I often watch more than once on iPlayer in bed to drift off to his voice!

Although the BBC seems to be cutting back on lots of content so might be offering less going forward, not incorporating new ideas or expansions.

This is my concern @BirdsSinginInTheSycamoreTrees , if social media responses to Monty's news are being read by those with say so, will they do the opposite of what the majority want in order to say they lost so many viewers they're axing it. I suspect quite a few BBC programmes are going or have gone in that direction.

GW hasn’t been the same since Alan Titchmarsh left in 2002. He’s now on UTube with lots of tips & ideas in his new garden.

I wonder why you think that?
I liked AT but think he's become a bit up his own since then.

The thing that got me about GW was that Monty has this fabulous 3 acre garden and everything at his finger tips for the prog- from the potting shed to the greenhouses, to the never ending supply of tools, seed trays, pots, bags of compost, grit etc. No rummaging around B&Q or wherever to find it all!

Most people have tiny suburban gardens and the scale of some things he did were not possible for many viewers.

I felt he looked and sounded tired for a while- not quite the same enthusiasm as before and how many times do we need to be see a bulb lasagne?

I think part of the problem is that many of us have been watching for decades so there isn't really much 'new' for any presenter to tell us. I would not mind at all if they returned to a 30 minute format.

You would think they must have a succession plan for GW because Monty has been murmuring about leaving for a couple of years. But this is the BBC, so...

I don't see a future for it to be honest. Now that it's possible to access info on youtube or using AI, what is the value? There is also GW magazine which imitates the prog.

I think most new gardeners - people buying their first homes or having a garden- will not turn to BB2 for advice.

There is so much online now which didn't exist 40 years ago, so it's a very different landscape. Somehow I think the demography is viewers age 60+ who have been loyal to it for years.

I really enjoyed last nights. Frosty was great, some useful tips and a really good range of other gardens. We are going to harvest some seeds today.

I watched GW last night, I agree Frosty was good, I liked seeing him doing proper hands-on work. And even better, he has dogs and cats. A GW presenter definitely has to have at least one of those.