Susan Kent was born in 1963 in Reading, England. From an early age, she faced the challenges of being born with a disability due to the thalidomide tragedy, which caused her to be born with very short arms and no thumbs — a condition known as phocomelia. Sue was born with an upper limb disability as her mother had been prescribed Thalidomide for morning sickness while pregnant.

She grew up in Swansea, Wales, where she has gardened for over 35 years, initially transitioning from roles in marketing and sports massage — where she qualified as a foot-using sports massage therapist, believed to be the only one in the UK at the time — to full-time horticulture. She obtained a Sports Massage Qualification from the University of Wales Institute in Cardiff in 2010, and in 2012 was a volunteer sports massage therapist at the Paralympics Village.

In 2020, Sue Kent launched her gardening career by sending a home video to BBC Two’s Gardeners’ World; it was such a hit that she became a regular presenter on the show, winning a Garden Media Award for her efforts. In 2023, Kent created a Platinum Award Winning Border at BBC Gardener’s World Live.

In 2025, Kent was part of the main daytime BBC One Chelsea Flower Show presenting team and joined the new presenting line-up for BBC’s Garden Rescue, due to be broadcast later in the year. She also has Ménière’s disease, which has caused symptoms including deafness, blindness, and vertigo. Sue lives in Gower, Wales with her husband Stephen Kent. The couple shares two children and several grandchildren.