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Monty Don returned to the BBC with this latest episode of Gardener's World, but as the instalment got underway, he was forced to directly address fans with a clear warning. With Spring on the horizon, the beloved horticulturist highlighted early-season pickings, including rhubarb. During the segment, the 70-year-old was seen tending to his garden and plucking the thick vegetable stalks from the soil, as he revealed that he's had his plant for 36 years.

As Monty instructed viewers: "Never cut it, you always pull rhubarb," he issued a gravely important message about the leaves on the plants. The garden enthusiast warned: "Of course, you don't eat the leaves, and in fact, rhubarb leaves are poisonous for dogs. "Not that I've ever known a dog want to eat a rhubarb leaf, but if you find your dog eating it, stop it."

As Monty explained the dangers of the rhubarb leaves, his adorable golden retriever, Ned, appeared on screen with his eyes closed as the BBC star placed the basket of vegetables behind him.

According to Rover.com, the leaves of rhubarb contain soluble oxalate crystals, which can cause two main areas of concern for dogs, including a calcium level drop, as the chemical compound binds itself to the calcium in the dog's body.

It can also cause kidney failure, as soluble oxalate crystals accumulate in the kidney and damage the organ.

The signs to look for include drooling, vomiting, diarrhoea, loss of appetite, and abdominal pain. Advanced symptoms include tremors, weakness, bloody urine, and potential kidney failure.

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Monty's dog warning comes days after he shared a "tragic" update about his life at home with Ned.

Addressing his 1.5 million followers on Instagram, the presenter shared a sweet clip of his golden pooch who had a ball in his mouth as he avoided handing it over, which, according to the host, was a very normal thing to take place in their house.

Taking to the caption, Monty wrote: "It's tragic how much pleasure this endless game gives Ned (and me)." But while he may have thought it was tragic, his followers felt very differently as they flooded his comments with glee.