Former BBC Gardeners’ World star Joe Swift launched a scathing attack on the BBC after being axed from Chelsea Flower Show coverage following more than two decades of presenting.
The 60-year-old revealed he was forced to request a ticket from the Royal Horticultural Society for this week’s VIP gala at the Royal Hospital Chelsea, despite his extensive history with the event.
“I have been going to Chelsea for 30 years. I worked 24 years of them filming and I split up with the BBC on my 25th year. That was a long schlep,” Mr Swift told The Mirror.
The presenter, who previously co-anchored the BBC’s coverage alongside Monty Don, has been replaced by Rachel de Thame and Arit Anderson, prompting complaints from viewers on social media.
Monty Don and Joe Swift used to present BBC coverage of the Chelsea Flower Show
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Speaking on his podcast, The James and Joe Garden Show, which he co-hosts with garden designer and RHS vice president James Alexander-Sinclair, Mr Swift did not hold back in his criticism of the new generation of presenters.
“You can’t trust the young. They get obsessed with gimmicks, not real gardening, horticulture and good design,” he declared.
In an episode provocatively titled Chelsea Flower Show 2026: The Secrets the BBC Won’t Tell You, Mr Swift also targeted a new garden created by Frances Tophill that has received backing from King Charles, Sir David Beckham and Alan Titchmarsh.
Taking a sarcastic swipe at Mr Beckham’s involvement, he remarked: “David Beckham, that famous garden designer…and he will take all the credit. He will bend it like Beckham.”
Joe Swift took a swipe at David Beckham
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Mr Swift’s grievances extended well beyond his departure from the presenting team, with the veteran broadcaster lamenting significant reductions in BBC spending.
“I used to do a lot of pre-films. When I first started filming for Chelsea they would send me all over the place.
“We would go abroad and film – like to France and Portugal. I think the budgets just got cut and cut,” he explained.
The catering arrangements for presenters also came under fire, with Mr Swift recalling how his children would previously spend entire days enjoying the food rather than viewing the gardens, before those provisions were scaled back.
Joe Swift has been involved in Gardeners’ World since 1998
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He was equally unimpressed by the sanitary facilities, complaining: “It is the chemical loo smell. By the end of the summer you are like ‘get me out of there.'”
Traffic congestion around the venue also drew criticism, with Mr Swift noting the logistical challenges caused by limited road access.
Despite his frustrations, Mr Swift indicated he harbours ambitions to design his own show garden at Chelsea in the future, though he expressed doubts about securing the necessary funding.
“I have got an idea for a show garden but I need £500 million to do it,” he quipped.
The RHS was quick to respond to his comments, with a spokeswoman pointing out that Mr Swift had accepted an invitation to attend the event back in February and suggesting he should seek sponsors rather than joking about inflated budgets.
“Chelsea Flower Show ran for a hundred years without Project Giving Back,” the spokeswoman told The Mirror, referring to the charity that has announced this year will be its final year funding the festival.
The BBC offered no response, with a spokeswoman stating to the publication: “We have nothing to add.”