Gardeners' World star David J.C. Austin dead aged 67: Owner of namesake rose brand loses battle with illness linked to Mad Cow Disease as Monty Don leads tributes
By REBECCA DAVISON, DEPUTY HEAD OF SHOWBIZ
Published: 06:04 EDT, 22 July 2026 \| Updated: 06:12 EDT, 22 July 2026
Gardeners' World star David J.C. Austin has died after being diagnosed with a neurological illness linked to Mad Cow's Disease.
David, owner of David Austin Roses passed away at his Shropshire home aged 67, after battling Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, (CJD).
Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD) is a rare, degenerative brain disorder. Most sufferers die within a year of symptom onset, usually due to an infection caused by immobility. There is no cure.
The gardener famously showed Queen Camilla around the Royal Chelsea Flower Show in May 2023.
Gardeners' World presenter Monty Don led tributes and wrote: 'I am so sorry to hear this. My regards and condolences to all his family.
'But what legacy he leaves – millions of exquisite roses that will live on for so many, enriching all our lives.'
Gardeners' World star David J.C. Austin has died aged 67: Owner of namesake rose brand has lost his battle with illness linked to Mad Cow Disease
Monty Don led tributes and wrote: 'I am so sorry to hear this. My regards and condolences to all his family'
His family added: 'First and foremost, Dad was a gardener. That was at the heart of who he was.
'He carried our grandfather’s vision with humility and an unwavering sense of responsibility, always putting the roses, the family business and its people before himself.
'He was kind and modest, with a playful spirit, a sense of adventure and a real enjoyment of life.
'Above all, he was our Dad, and words cannot express how much we will miss him. We couldn’t be more proud of him.'
In a statement, the Royal Horticultural Society said they were 'deeply saddened' by the news of David’s death.
David joined the world-famous Shropshire family nursery in 1990, working alongside his late father, David C. H. Austin (the pioneer who developed the iconic English Rose class).
David went on to lead the company for more than 30 years and transformed the business into a global horticulture brand.
Earlier this year, he entered semi-retirement, passing the primary leadership of David Austin Roses down to the third generation. His three children—Richard, James, and Olivia.
WHAT IS CREUTZFELDT-JAKOB DISEASE?
Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD) is a rare, degenerative brain disorder.
It is caused by abnormal proteins known as prions.
Prions are normally harmless but, when misshapen, they become infectious and create lesions,
Sufferers contract CJD by coming into contact with tissue that has been infected, such as eating contaminated meat.
About one in a million people worldwide become infected, with just 350 annual cases occurring in the US.
Symptoms, which worsen rapidly over time, include:
- Loss of intellect and memory
- Personality changes
- Loss of balance and coordination
- Slurred speech
- Vision problems and blindness
- Abnormal jerky movements
- Loss of mobility
Most sufferers die within a year of symptom onset, usually due to an infection caused by immobility.
There is no cure.
Treatment focuses of relieving symptoms and making sufferers comfortable via painkillers and antidepressants.
Source: CDC