Gardeners’ World presenter Monty Don has demanded an “urgent” inquiry by the Office of the Public Guardian into the welfare of Sir Ranulph Fiennes, the legendary British explorer many say has been “hidden away” from those closest to him.
Mr Don, who recently confirmed his departure from Gardeners’ World, spoke of a friendship spanning four decades.
Ben Fogle recently expressed concern for Mr Fiennes, and now the beloved gardener has followed suit.
It comes after it emerged that the 82-year-old hasn’t been seen in public for two years, with a family rift allegedly leading his second wife, Louise Millington-Cotes, to admit him to several different care homes under various names.
Ranulph Fiennes’s wife Louise Millington-Cotes, is accused by friends of tightly restricting access to visitors wishing to see the 82-year-old | GETTY
“My family and I have known Ran for over 40 years, and he is one of the most inspirational, remarkable and kindest of men I have known,” Mr Don said.
According to The Standard, the 71-year-old stated: “And of course, other than personal affection, he should be enjoying the admiration and respect of the whole country after such a remarkable life and not kept hidden away from family and friends.
“If anyone can be called a national treasure, it is Ran, and I do feel that it is vital that the OPG urgently investigates his case and all the facts can be brought to light.”
Sir Ranulph, 82, who suffers from Parkinson’s disease, has not appeared in public since 2024 and has allegedly been placed in multiple care facilities using false identities following a family dispute centred on his second wife, Louise Millington-Cotes.
According to reports, the explorer has been “unlawfully deprived of his liberty” and forced to alter his appearance so that he would not be recognised.
He is also said to have been prevented from receiving visits from friends or relatives.
The alarm was first raised when the proprietor of a care home in Wales alerted police, local authorities and the OPG to concerns about Sir Ranulph’s wellbeing, prompting an investigation by The Telegraph.
Actor Joseph Fiennes visited his cousin at a London care home last year, The Times reported.
Sir Ranulph’s stepson, Alex Millington-Cotes, told BBC Newsnight he wanted to see the power of attorney “removed from my own mother” and placed in the hands of people who “have fully his best interests in mind”.
Monty Don had been in breach of the BBC’s editorial rules | BBC
“He’s not an isolated type of person, and so to see him isolated now is very painful,” he said.
Arabella Pepper, the younger sister of Sir Ranulph’s late first wife Ginny, told the BBC she had been unable to see him for more than a year.
“All his friends and family want to see him and take him Toblerones and cheer him up, but we don’t know where he is, and he’s not available; he’s not accessible – that’s what worries us,” she said.
As well as Mr Fogle, Bear Grylls and Joanna Lumley have also voiced their alarm. Mr Grylls called Sir Ranulph a “true British icon” and described the reports of his isolation as “deeply disturbing”.
Monty Don is among those concerned for explorer Sir Ranulph
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Ms Pepper recalled that when she last managed to see Sir Ranulph, the relief on his face was unmistakable.
“He said, ‘Send a message to everybody, send them my love, tell them I love them and tell them I’m longing to see them,'” she told Newsnight.
Sir Ranulph is believed to have been transferred between care homes in Wales and Cheshire over the past year using an assumed identity, though his present location remains unknown.
King Charles himself was reportedly thwarted in his efforts to check on the explorer after fellow adventurer Anton Bowring wrote to him in February last year seeking assistance.
Ms Millington-Cotes allegedly responded to Bowring with angry text messages after Buckingham Palace was given her contact details.
Cheshire Police have said there are “no immediate safeguarding concerns” regarding Sir Ranulph’s care.