Seven and a half years on Blue Peter established Matt Baker as one of the best loved and most versatile presenters in the show's history, winning him 2 BAFTA awards for Best Children's presenter and a Royal Television Society award. Matt was a key contributor to the Blue Peter at 50 documentary and was invited to Buckingham Palace as part of the anniversary celebrations.
Matt was born in Durham where he grew up in the Dales on his family's sheep farm. His love of the countryside and animals made him the natural choice for fronting such shows as Animal Rescue Squad for Five, One Man and His Dog, Summer Countryfile Diaries, Crufts, Animal Rescue and a BBC NE natural history series. He is currently one of the main presenters of the new-look Countryfile, shown in a prime-time slot every Sunday on BBC1 and simulcast on BBC HD and is also a regular presenter of Open Country for Radio 4.
Matt left Blue Peter in 2006 and began fronting BBC Daytime shows. He joined the BBC1 City Hospital presenting team and was also part of The One Show series; since then he has also co-hosted The One Show. His other BBC credits include hosting the Evacuation series, and 2 series of The Stables Live 8. He presented Jonny Wilkinson's Hotshots rugby plus Jonny's rugby training DVD. He has also starred in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang at the London Palladium and Sunderland Empire and as Prince Charming in Cinderella at the Sheffield Lyceum.
As a boy, Matt was a British gymnastic and sports acrobatics champion, later joining the BBC Grandstand team as a world gymnastics presenter and commentator. He is also a hang-gliding world record holder. Matt is a regular commentator at the Glasgow Grand Prix Gymnastics and Women's European Gymnastics Championships for BBC2 as well as the London Marathon for BBC1. He was a key commentator for BBC's coverage of the gymnastics events at the 2008 Olympic Games from Beijing and the Artistic Gymnastics World Championships 2009 from London's O2 Arena.
Matt's exceptional physical prowess has allowed him to complete an impressive number of television challenges: he trained as a stunt man in Florida; spent a gruelling week with the Royal Marine Commandos, successfully passing their recruits' course, and later completed the Para's P Company selection tests. He also made the final of BBC Sport Relief's charity show jumping series Only Fools on Horses.
Matt has hosted many large scale live concerts including BBC National Road Shows, 4 Family Proms in Hyde Park and many live Proms from the Albert Hall; he co-presented three series of Making Tracks for BBC Radio 3. Matt was also the co-host of the Olympic Handover Concert, officially marking the start of London's tenure as Summer host city. The event took place in front of a 40,000-strong crowd at The Mall and was broadcast live on BBC1 and BBC Radio 2. He was also involved in the Olympic Victory Parade through central London, which went out live on BBC1.
His guest appearances include The Paul O'Grady Show, The Wright Stuff, Saturday Kitchen, Market Kitchen, Never Mind the Buzzcocks, the Steve Wright Show, Song for Europe, BBC Breakfast and Children In Need.
In 2009, Matt was one of the celebrities who took part in Around The World In 80 Days, a re-enactment of Jules Verne's literary odyssey for BBC Children in Need.
Matt studied for a BA (Hons) Acting at Queen Margaret's in Edinburgh, but after only eighteen months into the course he was snapped up as the 28th Blue Peter presenter - the rest is history!
Matt is in high demand for corporate work and voice-overs.
- Countryfile - BBC1/BBC HD
- The One Show - BBC1
- One Man and His Dog - BBC2/BBC HD
- Around The World In 80 Days - BBC1/BBC HD
- Artistic Gymnastics World Championships 2009 - BBC1/BBC2
- England's Green and Pleasant Land - BBC1 NE
- London Marathon - BBC1
- Glasgow Grand Prix Gymnastics - BBC2
- The Paul O'Grady Show - Channel 4
- Market Kitchen - UKTV Food
- Blue Peter at 50 - BBC1/BBC2
- Parade of the Heroes: Beijing 2008 - BBC1
- The Wright Stuff - Five
- Olympic Handover Concert - BBC1
- BBC Olympic Coverage (Gymnastics) - BBC1/BBC2
- Animal Rescue Squad - Five
- Evacuation Manor House - CBBC/BBC1
- BBC Sports - Gymnastics - BBC1
- Animal Rescue Live - BBC1
- Summer Countryfile Diaries - BBC
- Trooping of the Colour - BBC1
- Epsom Derby - BBC1
- Crufts - BBC1
- Only Fools on Horses - BBC1
- Blue Peter - BBC1
- Children In Need - BBC
- Family Proms - BBC
- Hot Shots - CBBC
- Proms from the Albert Hall - CBBC
- The Stables Live 8 - BBC/CBBC
- BBC National Road Shows
- City Hospital - BBC1
- Song for Europe - BBC1
- Radio:
- Open Country - Radio 4
- Making Tracks Classical Concerts - Radio 3
- Stage:
- Chitty Chitty Bang Bang
- Cinderella