Jeremy Clarkson fears Gardeners' World will be hijacked by 'zany' east London hippy after Monty Don quits

From the Newshound archive · first published 19 September 2026.

Jeremy Clarkson has warned BBC bosses not to replace Monty Don with a young, trendy presenter "living in an east London flat" growing "seeds for Palestine" in a window box. The Top Gear star wrote in his Sunday Times column that he has a "most horrible feeling" the new host will ditch corduroy for snazzy knitwear. Don, 71, announced last week he is leaving Gardeners' World after 23 years, saying it was the "right time for a change". Adam Frost and Frances Tophill are among the BBC colleagues already tipped to succeed him.

Clarkson, 66, warned producers will be tempted to make the show 'more inclusive' at the expense of its traditional audience.

Don also revealed he once told a colleague 'I cannot bear the sight of you' after they smashed a 500-year-old Renaissance pot with a sledgehammer.