Gardeners World has paid tribute to Monty Don's golden retriever, Nellie, following her sad passing over the weekend. Taking to X, formerly known as Twitter, the BBC account shared a video montage of TV presenter Monty and his beloved pet, who regularly appeared on the show. Captioning the clip, Gardeners World tweeted: "Bye-bye Nellie. We shall miss you x x".
Sparking an emotional reaction, fans rushed to the comments to share their condolences. "A beautiful tribute to dear Nellie. Sending all the love I have in my heart to @TheMontyDon and to everyone that adored her," wrote one.
"So sorry. Such sorrow when they have to leave," added another. Meanwhile, a third penned: "Just look how much fun she had. A happy soul dashing about. Loved. Good bye Nellie."
Over the weekend Monty, 68, confirmed Nellie's passing on Instagram. Sharing an old photo of Nell as a puppy alongside a more recent photo, he wrote: "I was going to tell you about my new book which is published next week but that can wait because my lovely dear Nell died last night.
"She was diagnosed with cancer in June and every day this summer has been a gift but it is over now. We buried her in the garden next to Nigel wrapped in one of my jackets with flowers, balls and her favourite biscuits. Her end was peaceful and dignified and ended obvious suffering but it never gets any easier to bear.
"So life goes on, but for the moment we are very, very sad," he added.
Following the news, Monty has been posting regular updates on social media, as well as thanking fans for their support. "Thank you for all your kind messages about Nellie. Today I shall plant primroses on her grave and take Ned for a long walk in the flood," he penned on Sunday. "She is gone but the love remains."
Nell, along with Monty's other dogs, have become fan favourites on Gardeners' World, making frequent appearances in the 68-year-old's Longmeadow garden in Herefordshire.
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Nell's sad passing comes just three years after the death of Monty's 12-year-old golden retriever Nigel, who died in May 2020. Animal-lover Monty remains a doting dog dad to his Yorkshire Terrier, Patti, dachshund Peggy, and golden retriever, Ned.
In a 2016 interview with The Guardian, Monty opened up about his love of dogs. "I like dogs because they are not humans," he said. "I get very uncomfortable when people start talking about dogs as 'my boys'. What is wonderful is that this is a wild animal which has chosen to go into partnership with you. It is the only wild animal that really does that."
Asked by The English Home what no home should ever be without, in 2020, Monty replied, "A dog or two," and we couldn't agree more.