Monty Don on rebellious teen years as he ‘longed for debauchery’

Monty Don, 67, has given fans a rare insight into his ‘coming of age’ story as he opened up about his rebellious teenage years in the 1970s. Nowadays, rebellious probably wouldn’t be the first word many would use to describe the horticulturist after he became a fan-favourite for his trusted gardening advice on Gardeners’ World.

However, he says he never “quite reached” the level of “debauchery” he was hoping for because his mum and dad were always there to pick him up at the end of the night.

He recalled: “The first gig I went to, I remember a rock band called Pink Fairies at the theatre in Basingstoke, where I went to gigs once a month when I was 16.

“It was a chance to glimpse sex, drugs and rock’n’roll, then my mum and dad would pick me up. 

 “I’d be drunk, and stoned too, in the car home, but not as much as I wanted to be.

“The excitement and sadness of teenage years is that you never quite reach the aspiration of debauchery that you long for,” he added to The Sunday Times.

In his adult life, Monty has said he is a moderate drinker but doesn’t smoke and finds drugs “unattractive”.

Speaking back in 2008, Monty told The Guardian: “I tried to smoke when I was younger, but I’m utterly unaddicted to nicotine.  

The project was then documented for the BBC series, Growing Out Of Trouble, which aired in 2006.

He did this while continuing to work on Gardeners’ World, which he began presenting almost 20 years ago.

Monty also regularly updates his fans on his homelife, particularly after he introduced his adorable new puppy, Ned. 

Ned has largely taken up Monty’s social media since he was welcomed into the family, joining Monty’s other Golden Retriever, Nellie, and Yorkshire Terrier, Patti.

Monty’s fans were left heartbroken back in 2020 when his beloved dog, Nigel, died after appearing alongside the star on almost every episode of Gardeners’ World.

Gardeners’ World airs on Thursday at 9pm on BBC Two.