Monty Don has been given a gentle pruning by BBC bosses after appearing on Gardeners’ World in a designer jacket linked to a major advertising campaign.
The gardening favourite was reminded of the BBC’s strict editorial guidelines after wearing a £300 Barbour coat on the BBC Two series — while simultaneously fronting promotional material for the fashion brand.
And it’s fair to say the row has now fully blossomed…
Monty Don ‘reminded’ over BBC rules
Monty recently teamed up with Barbour for its spring/summer 2026 campaign, with the fashion brand hailing him as “Britain’s most legendary gardener”.
The company even dubbed the Gardeners’ World star “the original pioneer of allotment-core” while promoting its latest collection.
However, things became a little thorny after Monty appeared wearing one of the jackets during filming for the BBC gardening show.
According to reports, the presenter was subsequently reminded about the Corporation’s rules surrounding presenters promoting products they are commercially linked to.
BBC editorial guidelines state: “Presenters or other individuals must not appear on-air wearing clothing or using products or services which they have agreed/been contracted to promote, advertise or endorse.”
In other words, Monty may have planted himself in the middle of a conflict-of-interest row.
‘Clear guidelines’
Addressing the situation, a BBC spokesperson told The Mirror: “We have clear guidelines around presenters’ commercial activities while working with the BBC. And Monty has been reminded of these guidelines.”
The jacket worn by Monty also features heavily in Barbour’s “Way of Life” campaign. As part of the campaign, fans are encouraged to “shop the look” online.
Meanwhile, the presenter has also been pictured wearing the same item across Gardeners’ World social media pages.
So while Monty is usually busy weeding borders and sowing seeds, this latest issue appears to have left BBC bosses keen to nip things in the bud before they grew further.
Monty Don’s long history with Gardeners’ World
Monty has been the face of Gardeners’ World for more than 20 years, first taking over hosting duties back in 2003.
After briefly stepping away following a minor stroke in 2008, he returned to the BBC series in 2011. The star has remained firmly rooted as one of the corporation’s most popular presenters ever since.
And despite this latest hiccup, it’s unlikely viewers will be digging him out of the flowerbeds anytime soon…
Read more: Monty Don’s sadness over death of Gardeners’ World guest
Gardeners’ World airs Fridays at 8pm on BBC Two.
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