Monty Don has responded to an online troll who asked him when he planned to retire after comparing him to a "crumpled compost heap".
While tweeting about a Radio 4 presenter, writing: "Hurrah for @amolrajan rejecting the ugly, clumsy expression 'going forward' on the Today programme. Makes me cringe every time I hear it," Monty received a surprise when another Twitter user replied: "Get a life. If you were a fraction as picky about your appearance you wouldn't look like a crumpled compost heap. Going forward, when are you retiring?"
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Replying to the tweet, Monty added: "Can't say Twitter isn’t fun." The star, who is currently appearing in Monty Don’s Adriatic Gardens, was greeted with a huge amount of support from fans, with one writing: "He's a gardener, what would you expect him to look like? He looks a lot more stylish than I did when I was gardening!"
Another fan added: "Why become nasty and personal when Monty was talking about an objective expression? I just don't understand the nastiness," while a third person wrote: "He looks like someone that spends a lot of time outdoors, gardening - which is kind of handy really since that's what he does? Personally, I hope he never retires because he's an absolute joy to watch & listen to - but that's a bit selfish, so hopefully retires whenever suits him?"
© Photo: Getty ImagesMonty responded to a troll
The horticulturist, 67, has previously opened up about his love of gardening - so we can’t imagine him retiring anytime soon! Speaking at the Chelsea Flower Show, he said: "It eases a troubled mind. It is happiness. It’s good that mental illness is gradually being destigmatised, but there is so much more we have to do, even to begin to get to grips with the problem."
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He added: "So many people discovered during lockdown two years ago – that first lockdown with that extraordinary spring – every garden, no matter how small, how humble, how modest, how inexperienced, is rich with wildlife. And in the garden, we get that first-hand connection with nature, and it’s as direct and as personal as most people are ever going to experience."
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