Gardeners' World presenter Monty Don has announced that his golden retriever, Nigel, has sadly passed away.
Paying tribute to his much-loved pup on Instagram, Monty explained that Nigel was suddenly taken ill. He said: "I am very sorry to announce that Nigel has died. To the end he was happy, healthy and his usual calm, lovely self.
"But he was suddenly taken ill and he slipped quietly away with no pain or suffering and is now buried in the garden with lots of tennis balls. Rest now old friend. See you in the sweet bye and bye."
Many of his followers commented words of support, including Countryfile presenter Matt Baker, who said: "Thinking of you Monty."
The beautiful pup regularly made an appearance on the gardening show and was adored by the many viewers (Nigel often received his own fan mail, too).
Back in 2017, Monty released a book titled Nigel: my family and other dogs, where he spoke about the love he had for his four-legged friends. In the book, he wrote: "I have always had a dog, or dogs. I cannot imagine life without them.
"I am just as much a fan of Nigel as any besotted viewer. In the book I explore why we love dogs and what they mean to us emotionally and domestically. I look back on all the dogs in my life - all of which I have loved deeply and which have been an essential part of my life."
Since announcing the sad news, Monty also shared beautiful images of Nigel throughout the years. Take a look at them below...
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