Monty Don has introduced a new fury family member to the world.
The broadcaster is known for his love of and was frequently seen on screen at Longmeadow with his golden retriever, Nigel, until the dog died in May 2020.
Following Nigel’s death, which happened shortly before his 12th birthday, Monty got a new golden retriever called Nell, and then a Yorkshire Terrier called Patti.
And his family of four-legged friends continues to grow, as he’s now besotted with a new dog, whom he confirmed is a ‘replacement’ for Nigel.
Sharing the sweetest snap of him cuddling the pup, the Gardeners’ World presenter gave his followers some light relief after a week of heavy news.
‘On a day when we are sharing a deep sense of sadness and loss, I went to choose the new bright innocent and irresistibly charming member of our family, replacing Nigel’, he wrote on Instagram.
Monty confirmed that his new dog will be ‘joining us next week’ to make his TV debut on BBC.
‘I haven’t told Nellie or Patti yet…’, he added, so it remains to be seen whether the three dogs will be best buds!
Naturally, fans were loving the dog content, with many suggesting Queen Elizabeth II – who died on September 8, aged 96 – would ‘heartily approve’ of a new dog in such sad times.
‘I think the Queen would wholeheartedly agree this is a great idea. Beautiful pup!’, one wrote.
Another wrote: ‘Oh how precious and the little one will make an excellent addition to the Longmeadow family team Im sure! Look forward to seeing him ❤️’.
Also eagerly awaiting the dog’s first TV appearance, a third commented: ‘He is adorable ? Patti is going to love him, can’t wait to see him on the show’.
Monty is yet to reveal his new pup’s name, but we predict all will be revealed on the next episode of Gardeners’ World.
Original dog Nigel died tragically after suffering from ‘violent fits all night’, Monty previously shared.
Speaking on an episode of the Griefcast podcast, he recalled his conversations with vets at the time and how difficult it was to work while he worried about his pet.
‘So, I filmed Gardeners’ World with this going on and all day phone calls were coming in saying, “We’ve tried this drug and it’s not working”,’ he shared.
‘Finally, the drug they used was the drug they used to put dogs down in a small dose and they said, “To be honest, we should just up the dose and that will end it”.
‘He’d had a brain tumour, and at that moment the tumour had grown.’
