TV presenter Monty Don has breached strict BBC rules after being caught wearing a Barbour jacket on Gardenersâ World â while promoting the same brand in an advertising campaign. The star has been âremindedâ of editorial guidelines by the Corporation after being seen in the ÂŁ300 jacket in the latest series of the hit BBC show. He was also spotted in the jacket on the Gardenersâ World official social media feed.
The BBC said theyâve spoken to the presenter. A BBC spokeswoman said: âWe have clear guidelines around presentersâ commercial activities while working with the BBC, and Monty has been reminded of these guidelines.â The jacket appears in promotional content for Barbourâs âWay of Lifeâ campaign, which encourages fans to âshop the lookâ worn by the TV presenter.
The campaign sees Don discussing his love of the outdoors while modelling the brandâs clothing. Announcing the tie-up with the BBC star, Barbour said that âBritainâs most legendary gardener, Monty Don, might seem like an unexpected high-fashion muse, but he is the original pioneer of âallotment-coreâ, and the perfect anchor for Barbourâs spring/summer 2026 collectionâ.
Other stars signed up by Barbour for the campaign include Frankie Bridge, AJ Odudu, Ella Eyre and Jack Guiness. Don, 70, is one of the BBCâs most recognisable stars and has fronted Gardenersâ World since 2003. In the past, the BBC has warned Ski Sunday stars Graham Bell and Chemmy Alcott about plugging clothes.
The former skiers were brand ambassadors for skiwear firm Snow Finel. They were often seen wearing their distinctive ranges on Ski Sunday and the BBCâs Winter Olympics coverage. The BBC banned them from wearing the clothes from the range again.
In 2024, Gary Lineker appeared to breach the same rules by wearing outfits from his own fashion range during Englandâs opening Euros game. The Match of the Day host wore a green T-shirt and jacket which appeared to be from the Next range he endorses.
