Monty Don is one of the most famous faces in British television, having entertained the public for multiple decades with his gardening tips and trick. He has guided the public’s gardeners through the seasons and their multiple challenges, instructing people on how to make their gardens look the best possible.

However, beyond gardening, Monty has also begun to speak more about his own physical and mental health and how he feels as he gets older. In one interview, when he was asked about clothes he doesn’t wear but can’t throw away, he answered the question before touching on one difference between him now and him when he was 20. Speaking to The Times he admitted that he had “always loved good cut and fabrics” to the extent that he wouldn’t “throw away a beautiful jacket or a well-cut shirt”.

He added: “I have Comme des Garçons and Yohji Yamamoto clothes from the Eighties that I haven’t worn for 30 years. Would I wear them now? The brutal truth is that, at 70, I’m not quite the same shape as when I was 20. I have to suck my tummy in and hold my breath.”

This isn’t the first time the Gardeners’ World presenter has spoken about changes to his body over the years. In a column for the BBC Gardeners’ World magazine, Monty said he had been grappling with a condition affecting his knees for years.

Monty admitted that he had previously spoken to his GP about the problems, that he had ignored the advice given, and ultimately had had to have a double knee replacement.

He said: “I remember going to my doctor when I first had knee trouble and he commented drilly that knees were appallingly badly designed and that was the end of it. He prescribed painkillers and told me to stop digging. I ignored both aspects of the prescription.

"Last summer I finally got round to having scans and seeing a surgeon and was duly told both my knees needed replacing. This was a bit of a surprise as I had been working on the assumption that I had one good knee and one bad knee.”

Following the operation, Monty said he was able to be more mobile and that, like his beloved Land Rover Defender, he would hopefully be able to keep going for a few more years.

He said: “The important thing…is that I shall be able to do things again, to get stuck in and crack on….with a fair wind and thanks to superb surgical skills, I should, like my beaten-up old Defender, keep ploughing on a bit longer.”#

Recently there has been speculation about who might replace Monty when he eventually decides to hang up his trowl.

However, speaking about his time on the show last year, Monty said: "I'd be very happy to do another five years. If the BBC renew my contract, I'd happily take it."