Monty Don, 70, has shared candid insights into his marriage with his wife, Sarah, in the past, opening up about their "complicated" meeting and last-minute wedding plans.
While they have been married for over four decades, the Gardeners' World star admitted that it hasn't always been smooth sailing. In fact, Sarah delivered an ultimatum to him that prompted him to seek professional help for his depression after his "difficult" behaviour began to impact their day-to-day life.
During an appearance on Gyles Brandreth's 'Rosebud' podcast, Monty shared a deeply personal confession about how the failure of his jewellery business led to depression.
"She came to me one day and said, 'Look, either you move out, or I'm taking the kids and moving out. I'm with you, I love you, I'm not leaving you, but we can't go on living with you like this,'" he began, before reflecting on the situation.
"Of course, I was slightly unaware I was angry, I was difficult, I was not somebody you wanted to live with.
"I said, 'Well, that would kill me, you know I can't. That can't happen.' So therefore, I said, 'Ok, I'll go and see a doctor.'
© Colin McPherson"I remember going to the doctor and saying, 'My knee hurts.' And he said, 'Look, that's fine. Anything else?'" Monty continued, making light of the situation.
After taking Prozac for 10 days, he started noticing a shift in how he was feeling. "I remember washing up the kitchen sink and noticing how beautiful the light was on the leaves on the hedge opposite, and I suddenly don't feel sad, I feel ok.
"For about six months, I felt like I was on holiday in a nice seaside town and the sun was shining," he concluded, admitting he was on the serotonin booster for seven years.
Inside Monty and Sarah's marriage
© InstagramMonty and Sarah met while he was studying at Cambridge University, with the Big Dreams, Small Spaces star later admitting on White Wine Question Time that he said he felt "intense attraction at first sight". However, he confessed they found themselves in "an extremely difficult, unhappy, tormented setup" at start of their love story since she had married her husband aged 19, five years before they met.
She gave up her "wealthy husband" for "a penniless student", and the rest is history.
After dating for several years, the couple tied the knot on 29 July 1983 at Finsbury Registry Office before heading to L'Escargot in Greek Street for their wedding breakfast, just days after he proposed.
© Getty Images"We were in Scotland, in the Hebrides, and we were on some remote islands. I rode her out to sea and the sea was quite calm. I said, 'Will you marry me?' and she said, 'I'm not sure'. I said, 'Well, we’re not rowing back until you do,' and we sat in the boat and after about a minute or two, she said, 'Oh, okay alright'," he recalled on Kate Thornton’s Podcast White Wine Question Time.
"I rowed back and then when we got back to London a couple of days later, I didn't tell her, but I booked the registry office for later that week because I thought, I don't want her to change her mind! I then told her we were getting married I think 48 hours before we were due because she had agreed, but we hadn't set a date."
The couple are now parents to three children: Adam, Freya and Tom.
