Gardeners’ World tragedies from Monty Don’s ‘terrible illness’ and co-star’s cancer diagnosis

Monty Don, the host of Gardeners’ World, has been the BBC gardening program since 2003, and in recent years he has spoken out about a number of heartbreaking health issues.

Monty Don at the Chelsea Flower Show 2025(Image: PA)

Gardeners’ World is fronted by 70-year-old horticultural expert Monty Don, who has been the beloved face of the cherished BBC show since 2003 following Alan Titchmarsh’s departure.

The presenter has recently experienced a number of personal hardships, including numerous personal hardships, despite the plant enthusiast and dog lover regularly sharing updates about life’s finer things, including growing flora and produce.

Monty assumed the role of the show’s lead in the early 2000s, and she returned in 2011 after a brief illness hiatus. Longmeadow, a native of his own garden, is where he resides, which has gained viewers’ acclaim.

Since shooting to fame, Monty has faced several health issues which have completely changed his life. It comes after Monty fired back at BBC viewers who complained one thing is ‘spoiling’ Gardeners’ World.

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Unfavorable condition

Monty Don often shares updates with his dogs
Monty provide an update after being struck down by a “terrible” illness twice(Image: INSTAGRAM)

Monty provided a “terrible” illness update this summer, which prompted encouraging comments from his devoted audience.

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He informed his social media followers in 2023 that “that would explain why I have been feeling terrible for the past couple of days.”

Monty had previously been bedridden for four days when he informed fans: “Boy, doesn’t it knock you sideways – utterly exhausting.

Auditory issues

Whilst holidaying in Greece with companions this year, he realised his sense of smell wasn’t matching that of his mates. He also revealed that his wife Sarah’s sense of smell had been “dramatically affected” since the Coronavirus outbreak.

He explained on the podcast Gardeners’ World Magazine that perfume is “almost lost on me,” and that my wife occasionally asked, “What perfume do you prefer?” and they both look exactly the same to me, or the difference is unimportant because it is so small. There is nothing I can do to address that, despite the fact that it is so obvious that it is a lack.

Saying a happy farewell

Monty has faced several heartbreaking health issues
Monty has faced several heartbreaking health issues(Image: Ben Montgomery, Getty Images)

When Monty bid a “dear friend” a heartfelt farewell earlier this year, there was a outpouring of love.

He shared the sad news of his companion’s passing on Instagram, penning a touching tribute.

Previously, Monty spoke about how gardening can provide solace during times of grief in a chat on BBC Radio Four.

The rhythm of the seasons is a great comforter, he said, and that’s one of the things that has always moved me. This has frequently been said by grieving people. You can count on spring to arrive in the bleakest midwinter and the blossom to bloom.

diagnosis of cancer

Gardeners World BBC
Steve revealed his devastating terminal cancer diagnosis (Image: BBC)

A Gardeners’ World contributor named Steve recently revealed his devastating terminal cancer diagnosis alongside his wife Pippa on the program.

As Steve explained that it might take “two months or two years” before he passes away, viewers began to cry.

In the heartfelt episode that aired earlier this month, Steve describes his cancer as a “new challenge” and maintains his positive attitude throughout the episode.

Gardeners’ World airs on BBC Two and is available to watch on BBC iPlayer.

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Texas Democrats ending two-week walkout over gerrymandered US GOP House map

In a national partisan no-holds-barred debate over President Donald Trump’s desire to reshape United States House district maps to his advantage ahead of the midterm elections in 2026, Texas Democrats have ended a two-week walkout that stymied Republican efforts to redraw congressional districts.

In a statement released on Monday, Texas House of Representatives Minority Leader Gene Wu said, “We killed the corrupt special session, withstood unprecedented surveillance and intimidation, and rallied Democrats nationwide to join this existential fight for fair representation.”

In response to California Democrats’ retaliatory redrawing of their congressional boundaries, which places the nation’s two most populous states at the center of a growing battle for control of the US Congress ahead of the midterm elections in 2026, Texas Democrats are returning to the Republican-controlled Congress in the Lone Star State.

More than two weeks after their Republican-majority colleagues left the state, dozens of Texas House Democrats refused to allow their colleagues to vote on redrawn maps that would allow five more Texas Republicans to attend Capitol Hill. Democrats rallied against the Trump-led gerrymandering effort, and Republicans won after that first special session.

They specifically cited California’s release of proposed maps that would increase Democrats’ five-seat majority in the US House, effectively thwarting any Republican gains there.

Democratic governors in several statehouses have indicated they will follow California’s lead in the wake of Trump’s pressure on other Republican-run states to consider redistricting. A special referendum on the redrawn districts will be held on November 4th, according to Democratic California Governor Gavin Newsom.

The US president wants to reinvigorate Republicans’ shaky majority in the House and prevent another midterm defeat during his first term as president, when Democrats retake control of the House and use their majority to stymie his agenda and twice remove him from office.

Democrats are now within three seats of a majority because of the political makeup of the current district lines on a national level. Only a few districts in the 435 total US House seats are competitive. Which party gains control, therefore, even slight changes in a few states.

Redistricting was added to the agenda of the initial special session, which included a number of issues, most notably a package of bills that addressed the devastating floods that earlier this summer claimed the lives of more than 130 people. Texas Governor Greg Abbott jumped to his aid.

Abbott has attributed the delay in implementing those measures to Democrats’ absence. Democrats have argued that Abbott’s capitulation of Trump was due to his insistently effective linking the nonpartisan flood relief effort to the hyper-partisan issue.

Redistricting in the middle of a decade is unusual. This typically occurs once every decade to coincide with the US Census. Legislators are empowered to draw maps in many states, including Texas. California is one of the states that gives independent commissions the task.

Hickey ends 659 days of hurt as Brentford & Scotland watch on

Images courtesy of Getty

Rarely does an eight-minute cameo as a late substitute ever feel so endearing.

However, Aaron Hickey’s return to action is a welcome boost for Brentford, Scotland, and of course the player himself after almost two years of being away.

The former Hearts and Bologna star had not featured competitively for the Bees since October 2023 when he made his debut in the 88th minute at the City Ground, which Nottingham Forest had long since won.

He missed out on the entire 2024-25 Premier League season due to a serious injury, not just the Scottish European Championships from last summer.

How did Hickey fare?

In 2023, Chelsea faced off against them.

The young Scot, who had joined Bologna the year before moving up from the ranks to join Hearts, injured his hamstring during the Bees’ Premier League game against the Stamford Bridge club.

Before having surgery a second time, he also experienced a setback in his recovery during a training session in August 2024.

Any player’s potential is at risk in this uncertain and worrying time, but his potential was highlighted in a new contract signed for Brentford until at least the summer of 2028 in January this year.

All those connected to the club will be celebrating his eight touches down the right flank on Sunday.

According to Dundee manager Steven Pressley, who was the city’s head of individual player development, “he’s a player that, without a doubt, the feeling is in Brentford, can make another step.”

We at Brentford argued that Hickey could undoubtedly play for one of England’s top six sides if he were to put rhythm and games behind him and develop.

He is a top boy who has gone through a lot of difficult times mentally. He initially had a setback that required further surgery before he had to recover from his first hamstring injury.

Craig Levein and Aaron HickeySNS

It takes a lot of mental strength, attitude, and patience to endure such a spell.

And Hickey at Hearts’ collaborator Craig Levein has pleaded for the latter. However, he has no doubts about the teenager’s resilience and his ability to bounce back from Tynecastle better than ever.

One example of how unfazed Hickey was by the size of the challenge is the Scottish Cup final defeat to Celtic in 2019 (at the time) .

Levein recalled that “someone informed me to look at the back of the bus and we were on it all the way to Glasgow.” Aaron was lying asleep in the room as I approached him. Which I thought was the perfect summation. The biggest thing in his life belongs to him.

That just demonstrated that he wasn’t unaffected by what was about to occur. And he did a fantastic job of winning the match, to be fair. He did a fantastic job in Bologna, where he did incredibly well there. He truly carried the Scots’ torch in Italian football.

Then, after injury stopped him from succeeding, he moved to Brentford, where he was a hit from the beginning.

In his first season playing for the Bees in the 2022-23 campaign, he had established himself as the right-back in his own right-back role.

He has been put to a lot of mental and physical strain over the past few years, but Pressley thinks he will rebound stronger.

He said, “He’s incredibly gifted in terms of being able to play with both feet.”

You couldn’t even tell which was his stronger foot at times. He plays well in the middle of the pitch and is a modern-day fullback in that he can play from the fullback position and invert into the “six” position.

Why does Scotland require a capable Hickey?

Following Hickey’s return, Brentford fans will be astounded as well. North of the border, too, will be awash.

Left-back, which features Andy Robertson and Kieran Tierney on the opposite side, has long been a source of debate in Scotland. However, the Tartan Army has long been upset about it.

On September 5 in Copenhagen, Scotland will begin their bid for World Cup qualification, and Steve Clarke will be naming his team right away.

Former national team coach Levein expressed his confidence that he will return to where he was.

“I’m anticipating seeing him play.” I predict that he’ll be a hit with Scottish fans. Steve Clarke will be delighted to welcome him back.

He’s the first player in the squad, you know, because he almost feels like a pair because of his ability to play both right-back and left-back equally well.

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Racially abused player ‘cried on my chest’ – Rooney

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In response to being racially abused while in charge of DC United’s Major League Soccer team, Wayne Rooney revealed a player had “cried on his chest” and called for more anti-racism education campaigns.

The former world leaders of England and Manchester United also wants to see teams more severely punished for racist fan sentiment.

On his new BBC podcast, Rooney discussed how to combat racism in the Premier League.

Following the Cherries’ 4-2 defeat by Liverpool on Friday, Bournemouth forward Antoine Semenyo reported being racially abused by a member of the crowd.

One of my players, who had been racially abused, was crying on my chest during one of my encounter in DC. On the Wayne Rooney Show, he said, “I was holding him as he was crying on my chest.”

They use the phrase “a throwaway line” because they believe it has no meaning, but it hurts people, I don’t think people realize. There must be more being done to stop it for people to see that and comprehend it.

Semenyo reported the abuse to the referee, so the Premier League opener at Anfield on Friday was abruptly stopped in the 29th minute.

A 47-year-old Liverpool man was detained on suspicion of aggravated public order by racially aggravated public order and placed on conditional bail from all UK football stadiums.

Rooney added that clubs must be taught how to avoid discrimination at all ages, but he also wants stronger sanctions for clubs.

According to Rooney, “there needs to be a strong campaign for society’s education of children, parents, and grandparents,”

The only way to stop is to hit the clubs, according to the coach. Fans will continue to do it if there is ignorance.

You must hit the clubs by taking off points, or you must hit them with money. Otherwise, it will continue to grow.

“Hopefully, the right people come together with the appropriate organizations to try to put together something important.”

According to rule E20. 1, the Football Association (FA) has the authority to impose financial penalties or stadium closures on organizations that are found to have ignored reports of racist abuse.

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Mirror Daily Digest: Our top stories from Prince Harry’s attempt to heal feud to Trump’s day of reckoning

We’ve compiled the biggest stories of the day in this Monday’s Mirror Daily Digest, from Prince Harry’s secret letter to Trump’s meeting with Putin.

Prince Harry has placed a secret letter paying tribute to Second World War veterans(Image: Getty Images)

Welcome to the Mirror’s Daily Digest, where we pull together all the best stories of the day from our News, Showbiz, Sport teams and more. This Monday, we’re featuring everything from Prince Harry’s major attempt to heal the royal feud to Trump’s European day of reckoning and Princess Andre’s Katie Price admission.

It has emerged that Prince Harry had placed a secret letter paying tribute to veterans just hours after a visit from the King and Queen – in a move that could show his eagerness to heal the royal rift. Elsewhere, Trump is facing ‘a reckoning he cannot bluster his way out of’, and Princess Andre has admitted she feared Katie Price’s home.

In major efforts to end bitter feuds, Prince Harry places a secret letter at a royal wedding.

Charles and Camilla at the ceremony to mark the 80th anniversary of VJ Day at the National Memorial Arboretum
Charles and Camilla at the ceremony to mark the 80th anniversary of VJ Day at the National Memorial Arboretum (Image: AP)

Earlier this Monday, our Royal team shared the news that Prince Harry had placed a secret letter at a national memorial – hours after a visit from King Charles and Queen Camilla. The move could signal his eagerness to heal the rift with his family

The King and Queen led the nation in commemorating the 80th anniversary of VJ Day during a moving ceremony at the National Memorial Arboretum in Staffordshire on Friday. The event came on the day Charles vowed that the sacrifice of heroes who fought and died in the campaigns in the Pacific and Far East during the Second World War “shall never be forgotten”.

And now it has been revealed that Harry, who served for 10 years in the Army, also paid a touching tribute to the veterans by having a personal letter and wreath placed at the Burma Star Memorial at the same location. It is reported that he insisted the tribute was laid by a friend – with strict instructions only to place it at the memorial once his father and stepmother had left.

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Read the entire story here.

Trump’s “day of reckoning” as leaders discuss Zelensky’s humiliating discussions with Putin

Trump and Putin
Trump launched a flurry of posts, defending himself against criticism of his meeting with the Russian president in Alaska(Image: Getty Images)

As Sir Keir Starmer and other European leaders arrive in Washington to stand united with Zelensky, our US Editor, Christopher Bucktin, writes that Trump ‘faces a reckoning he cannot bluster his way out of’. The world leaders’ US visit comes just days after the US president rolled out the red carpet for Vladmir Putin.

Christopher Bucktin wrote: “The US President spent much of his White House campaign trail thumping his chest with boasts. More than 50 times, he told cheering crowds that he would end the war in Ukraine “within 24 hours” of taking office.

“Again and again, he claimed that if he had been in power, the war would never have started in the first place. Both boasts now lie in tatters. The Alaska summit with Putin was meant to showcase Trump the dealmaker. Instead, it exposed him as flawed, deferential, and hopelessly outmanoeuvred.”

Read the entire story here.

Because “a lot went on there,” Princess Andre feared Katie Price’s “really scary” home.

Princess Andre
Princess Andre has admitted her mum Katie’s ‘Mucky Mansion’ was ‘really scary’(Image: ITV)

Since the first episodes of Princess Andre’s new show, The Princess Diaries, began to air, our Showbiz team has been keeping an eye on it. The young TV star has received praise for speaking out openly about Katie Price’s destructive relationship and growing up in the spotlight.

Princess Andre has now admitted her mum Katie’s ‘Mucky Mansion’ was a “really scary” place to live in a heartbreaking revelation. The reality star, 18, grew up in the sprawling pile in Sussex after Katie, 47, and the teen’s dad, Peter Andre, 52, divorced.

Princess previously admitted that the star’s marriage to Kieran Hayler was particularly traumatic and has now opened about the house they lived in. Speaking to The Guardian about living in the Mucky Mansion, which featured in Katie’s reality DIY show on Channel 4, Princess admitted: “It was a really scary house. A lot went on there. So I didn’t really like it.”

Read the entire story here.

After the Gangland shooting, a young girl returns to school with a bullet in her brain.

Forensic officers at the scene of the shooting
Forensic officers at the scene of the shooting(Image: PA)

A young girl who will have a bullet lodged in her brain for life after being caught in the crossfire of a gangland attack has made a “miraculous” recovery, police have revealed. However, the nine-year-old, who was hit when a gunman on a Ducati Monster motorbike opened fire, will suffer “physical and cognitive difficulties throughout her life”, a court heard.

Javon Riley, 33, was today found guilty of helping the would-be assassin, who detectives are still hunting. Riley, from Tottenham, north London, was convicted at the Old Bailey of three charges of attempted murder and a charge of causing grievous bodily harm to the girl.

Three men were shot in the head by a different bullet. The attack was survived by Nasser Ali, 43, Mustafa Kiziltan, 38, and Keenan Aydogdu, 45. A detective has revealed that the girl is now walking and talking, has returned to school, and is playing with her friends despite doctors’ fears that she wouldn’t survive.

Read the entire story here.

Ozzy Osbourne’s documentary was unavoidably pulled from the BBC schedule at last minute.

LONG BEACH, CALIFORNIA - SEPTEMBER 10: Musician Ozzy Osbourne signs copies of his album
Ozzy Osbourne documentary pulled from BBC schedule (Image: Getty Images)

A special documentary that is a “moving and inspirational account of the last chapter” of Ozzy Osbourne’s life has mysteriously been rescheduled without explanation. Titled Ozzy Osbourne: Coming Home, the programme was due to air on BBC iPlayer and BBC One this evening at 9pm, and is told through “unique and intimate access to the whole Osbourne family”.

However, the one-off, hour-long documentary, which was announced at the start of this month, has now vanished from BBC TV listings and instead been replaced by Fake or Fortune. A spokesperson for the BBC told the Mirror today that the “film has moved in the schedules” and new premiere details will be shared “in due course”.

The three-year-long documentary “accompanies the extraordinary rollercoaster of their lives” as Ozzy and Sharon attempt to reclaim their long-awaited UK home. It also captures musician Ozzy as he “heroically battles to get fit enough to perform.”

Read the entire story here.

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Burkina Junta Expels Top UN Official Over Children In Wartime Report

The top resident UN official was called “persona non grata” by the Burkinabe junta on Monday in response to a UN report that found that armed groups were recruiting children to fight in the nation’s jihadist conflict.

As the Sahel nation struggles with a widespread jihadist insurgency, the Burkinabe junta has increased pressure on international organizations and humanitarian organizations since a coup.

UN resident humanitarian coordinator Carol Flore-Smereczniak must leave, according to a statement from the military government, because of her “responsibility” in creating the March report, which it claimed contained “baseless” allegations that Burkinabe’s army and defense forces were also violating children’s human rights.

The report, which is titled “Children and armed conflict in Burkinabe,” identified violations against minors, including “the recruitment and use of children, the killing and maiming of children, rape and other forms of sexual violence against children, attacks on schools, hospitals, and protected persons in relation to schools, hospitals, and the abduction of children, and the denial of humanitarian access.

The Al-Qaeda-linked Group for the Support of Islam and Muslims, or JNIM, was most frequently involved in child recruitment, with the Islamic State in the Greater Sahara (ISGS) group being one of the culprits.

However, the report also discovered that one-fifth of the grave crimes registered by UN investigators were committed by the defense and security forces, as well as its civilian affiliates, the Volunteers for the Defense of the Nation.

 ‘Falsehoods’

The government continued, “This report, which resembles a compilation of baseless assertions and falsehoods, contains no appendices with copies of investigation reports or court rulings to back up the alleged cases of violations against children attributed to the brave Burkinabe fighters.”

The investigation revealed that Volunteers for the Defense of the Nation members were responsible for the kidnapping of 23 children and four of the 20 rape counts that they successfully verified.

In July of this year, Mauritius native Flore-Smereczniak was appointed.

In December 2022, the junta declared one of her predecessors, Italian official Barbara Manzi, a similarly “persona non grata.”

Read more about Junta-Run Burkinabe to remove the electoral commission.

For the past ten years, Islamist fighters have attacked Burkinabe.

Although the junta has vowed to halt the unrest since launching a coup in September 2022, its military leaders have so far failed to do so.

Regularly accused of abusing civilians, the Burkinabe army and its civilian affiliates are they.

More than 26 000 people have died in Burkinabe as a result of the jihadist insurgency, including civilians and soldiers, since it started more than ten years ago.

In the last three years, more than half of those deaths occurred.