BBC’s Gardeners’ World is one of the most popular and longest-running gardening TV shows in the UK, having been on air for over 50 years.
The programme covers a wide range of gardening topics, from soil health to planting tips, presented by expert gardeners.
But who are these Gardener’s World presenters? The show has featured several gardening experts as presenters over the years, including notable figures such as Alan Titchmarsh, Arthur Billitt, and Geoff Hamilton.
Below is a look at the current lineup of Gardeners’ World presenters and some interesting facts about them:
1. Monty Don
- Previous jobs: Columnist on Mail on Sunday and presenter on ITV, BBC, and Channel 4.
- Education: English at Magdalene College
- Ethnicity: Caucasian (British)
- Partner: Sarah Erskine
Monty Don is one of the most recognisable presenters of Gardeners’ World. He is the programme’s lead presenter, having been on the show since 2003.
Don began his career by writing gardening articles, which were published in various magazines and newspapers. The exposure of his articles helped him land a job as a gardening columnist for The Mail on Sunday.
He then moved to TV, with his first segment on ITV’s This Morning breakfast show in 1989. After ITV, he worked as a presenter for BBC TV (Tomorrow’s World and Holiday) and Channel 4 (Fork to Fork, Lost Gardens, Real Gardens, and Don Roaming).
After Channel 4, Monty Don joined Gardeners’ World, taking over from veteran presenter Alan Titchmarsh. He (Don) briefly left the show in 2008 after suffering a minor stroke, but came back in 2011.
2. Adam Frost
- Previous jobs: Presenter of various gardening shows
- Education: Apprenticeship at North Devon Parks Department
- Ethnicity: Caucasian (British)
- Partner: Sulina Frost
Adam Frost is a British garden designer, TV presenter, and author. He is one of the regular presenters on Gardeners’ World, having joined the programme in 2016.
Frost has also worked as a presenter on various shows, including The Alan Titchmarsh Show, DIY SOS, The One Show, and the BBC’s coverage of RHS Flower Shows. He also hosted the Gardeners’ World podcast, Adam Frost Grows and Cooks.
Besides working as a presenter, he runs a landscaping business and is a published author, having written several gardening books.
He is also a Royal Horticultural Society ambassador and previously ran The Adam Frost Garden School, a gardening academy that closed in 2022.
One interesting tidbit about Frost is that he did not attend a traditional tertiary institution. Instead, he chose to work, earning hands-on gardening experience in the field.
3. Frances Tophill
- Previous jobs: Presenter at ITV
- Education: BSc in Horticulture with Plantsmanship at the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh
- Ethnicity: Caucasian (British)
Frances Tophill is a British TV presenter, author, horticulturalist, and environmentalist. She is a regular presenter on the BBC’s Gardeners’ World, having joined the show in 2016.
Tophill was also a regular feature on another gardening show, Love Your Garden, which aired on ITV from 2011 to 2024.
In addition to working as a presenter, Frances Tophill is an author who has written five gardening books: The First Time Gardener, The Container Gardener, Rewild Your Garden, The Modern Gardener, and A Year in a Small Garden.
Additionally, she is an environmentalist who works with the RHS’s Campaign for School Gardening to inspire young people to take up gardening.
4. Nick Bailey
- Previous jobs: Horticultural editor at Bauer Media and head gardener at The Wicken.
- Education: Horticulture at Hadlow College and a degree in Landscape Design at the University of Greenwich.
- Ethnicity: Caucasian (British)
Nick Bailey is a British TV presenter, garden designer, author, and horticultural expert. He is a regular presenter at Gardens’ World, having joined the programme in 2016.
Bailey is an experienced TV presenter who began his career presenting the South African show “Wild and Wonderful.” After that, he worked as a panellist on BBC Radio’s Garden Party.
He has also appeared on BBC programmes such as Great British Garden and Big Dreams Small Spaces. Additionally, he is a regular presence on several UK channels and stations, including ITV News, BBC One (The One Show), BBC Radio 4 (Food Programme), and BBC Radio 2.
Nick Bailey is also an author with three published books: Chelsea Physic Garden – A Companion Guide, 365 Days of Colour in Your Garden, and Revive Your Garden.
He has also written for various magazines and newspapers, including BBC’ Gardeners’ World, The Mail, The Telegraph, The Times, Garden News, and RHS The Garden.
5. Arit Anderson
- Previous jobs: BBC Presenter, pharmacy technician, and retail consultant.
- Education: BTEC in Pharmaceutical Sciences at Westminster Kingsway College and Diploma in Garden Design at Capel Manor College.
- Ethnicity: Black
- Partner: Scott Anderson
Arit Anderson is a British TV presenter, garden designer, and author. She is one of the several female Gardeners’ World Presenters.
Anderson has also worked as a presenter in other roles, including the BBC’s Garden Rescue show (alongside Charlie Dimmock) and the Landscape Institute Awards 2019.
In addition to being a presenter, Anderson owns a gardening design firm, Diamond Hill Garden Design, and is the co-founder of the Sustainable Landscape Garden. She is also an author who has published the book The Essential Tree Selection Guide (with Henrik Sjöman).
Arit Anderson’s gardening work has earned her several awards, including the RHS Fresh Talent Award at the 2013 Chelsea Flower Show and a gold medal for a conceptual, sustainable garden at the Hampton Court Garden Festival.
6. Joe Swift
- Previous jobs: Musician and Landscape designer
- Education: Art college and, later, Garden Design at The English Gardening School
- Ethnicity: Caucasian (British)
- Partner: Married (Wife’s name not publicly available)
Joe Swift is a British TV presenter, journalist, and garden designer. He is another regular presenter on the BBC’s Gardeners’ World.
Swift has also featured in other BBC shows, including Small Town Gardens, Gardeners’ World Live, Garden of the Year, and the BBC’s coverage of the RHS Chelsea Flower Show, the RHS Tatton Park Flower Show, and the Hampton Court Palace Flower Show.
In addition to his TV work, Swift has also written for newspapers and Magazines like The Independent, The Sunday Times, The Evening Standard, Gardeners’ World Magazine, and The Times.
He is also a published author, with three books to his name: Joe’s Allotment, The Plant Room, and Joe’s Urban Garden Handbook.
Furthermore, he is a garden designer and the co-founder and design director of Modular Garden, a company specialising in garden design and construction.
7. Carol Klein
- Previous jobs: Art teacher
- Education: Art school in Swansea and Brighton
- Ethnicity: Caucasian (British)
- Partner: Neil Klein
Carol Klein is a British gardening expert, TV presenter, and writer. She is also one of the longest-serving Gardeners’ World presenters, having debuted on the programme in 1989; although she has only been a regular presenter since 2005.
Klein has also worked as a presenter on other gardening programs, including Real Gardens, Open Gardens, and the BBC’s Great British Garden Revival. She has also worked on her own gardening projects for the BBC, including Grow Your Own Veg and Life in a Cottage Garden with Carol Klein.
Besides being a TV presenter, Klein is an author with several published books. She also writes for BBC Gardeners’ World magazine, The Guardian, and the Saturday Extra magazine, which appears in regional newspapers such as the Manchester Evening News and the Liverpool Echo.
8. Rachel de Thame
- Previous jobs: model and actress (as Rachel Colover in Merlin and Boywork)
- Education: Drama at Southgate College, History of Art at London City Lit, and Practical Horticulture and Plants & Plantsmanship at the English Gardening School.
- Ethnicity: Caucasian (Jewish)
- Partner: Gerard de Thame
Rachel De Thame is a British gardener, TV presenter, and former model and actress. She is another of the longest-running Gardeners’ World presenters, having made her debut on the programme in 1999.
Besides Gardeners’ World, she has presented other gardening shows, including Gardener’s World Top Tips, Great British Garden Revival, Small Town Gardens, Gardening with the Experts, and Countrywise (ITV).
De Thame has also presented the BBC’s coverage of Hampton Court Palace Flower Shop and the Chelsea Flower Show. She has also appeared on non-gardening shows on the BBC, including Call My Bluff and Going for a Song.
Besides presenting, she is an author with two published gardening books and another one co-written. She is also a regular writer for The Sunday Times, The Daily Telegraph, Eden Magazine, Woman’s Own Magazine, and BBC Gardeners’ World Magazine.
9. Advolly Richmond
- Previous jobs: N/A
- Education: MA in Garden History at the University of Bristol
- Ethnicity: Black
Advolly Richmond is a garden and plant historian, TV and radio presenter, and author. She is a regular feature on the BBC’s Gardeners’ World, where she presents features related to the history of gardening.
Richmond also presents history features on BBC Radio 4’s Gardeners’ Question Time. Additionally, she hosts a podcast show, The Garden History, which is available on iTunes, Spotify, and other leading podcast platforms.
Besides presenting, Richmond is a monthly contributor to Scribehound Gardening and has also published a book, A Short History of Flowers. She is also a lecturer in gardening history, teaching the Social and Cultural History of Italian Renaissance Gardens at Oxford.
10. Sue Kent
- Previous jobs: Sports Massage therapist.
- Education: Marketing and advertising at the University of the West of England and sports massage certification at the University of Wales Institute, Cardiff.
- Ethnicity: Caucasian (British)
- Partner: Stephen Kent
Sue Kent is one of the most beloved presenters on Gardeners’ World. She joined the programme in 2022 after sending a gardening video to the show, which instantly became a hit with the fans.
She has also featured in other BBC shows, including Garden Rescue and BBC One coverage of the RHS Chelsea Flower Show.
Besides gardening, she is a writer; she has published a book, Garden Notes, and is a regular contributor to BBC Gardeners’ World magazine.
Sue Kent is also the RHS Ambassador for Disability and Inclusion. She was born with an upper limb disability due to the drug Thalidomide, and thus gardens using her feet and hands.