1. Matthew James Baker was born on 23 December 1977 and is a British television presenter.
36 Facts About Matt Baker
2.
Matt Baker co-presented the children's television show Blue Peter from 1999 until 2006, BBC One's Countryfile since 2009 and The One Show from 2011 to 2020, with Alex Jones.
3.
Matt Baker attended Easington Village School, then, when he was aged 10, his parents bought a farm west of Durham, which they moved into and renovated.
4.
Matt Baker continued his education at Belmont Comprehensive School in Durham and was a budding gymnast, but was forced to give up after being diagnosed with anaemia aged 14.
5.
Matt Baker took A-levels in Drama, Biology and Sports Science at Durham Sixth Form Centre.
6.
Matt Baker moved to Edinburgh to train as an actor at Queen Margaret University School of Drama.
7.
Matt Baker wanted to become a physiotherapist, but did not achieve the necessary academic standards.
8.
Matt Baker was asked to come to London the next day for an interview, and made his first appearance on the show on 25 June 1999.
9.
In 2003, Matt Baker learned to fly hang gliders and made a successful tandem world record-breaking flight with Airways Airsports instructor Judy Leden MBE.
10.
Matt Baker won two BAFTAs for Best Children's Presenter two years in a row and a Royal Television Society award.
11.
Matt Baker co-presented Countryfile Summer Diaries on weekday mornings on BBC One, along with Open Country for Radio 4 and Animal Rescue Squad and Animal Rescue Squad International for Channel 5.
12.
From May to August 2010, Matt Baker was a guest presenter on BBC One's magazine programme The One Show, standing in for Jason Manford.
13.
Matt Baker later took over as a permanent presenter on the show, co-hosting with Alex Jones from Monday to Thursday.
14.
On 4 December 2019, Matt Baker announced on The One Show that he would be leaving in the spring of 2020.
15.
Matt Baker announced it in an emotional speech to camera where he thanked everyone for their support, especially for the money donated to The Rickshaw Challenges.
16.
Matt Baker's last show on The One Show was on Tuesday 31 March 2020, where he was not on the couch with co-presenter Alex Jones, but was at home in self isolation in the COVID-19 pandemic.
17.
In 2003, Matt Baker was a guest on A Song For Europe contest to decide the UK entry to the Eurovision Song Contest, where he announced the scores for the North of England.
18.
Matt Baker was one of three main presenters on the final series of the BBC One reality series City Hospital.
19.
In March 2007, and again in 2008, Matt Baker co-presented coverage of Crufts.
20.
Matt Baker provided commentary for the gymnastics at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, as well as doing some presenting work.
21.
Matt Baker was a Torch Bearer for the Olympic Flame as it was carried into Durham City as part of the flame's tour of Great Britain.
22.
In 2016, Matt Baker again provided the BBC commentary on the gymnastic events at the Rio Olympics.
23.
Matt Baker continued his previous commentating work by providing commentary for the Tokyo 2020 and Paris 2024 gymnastics events.
24.
In October 2009, Matt Baker took part in the reality programme Around the World in 80 Days to raise money for Children in Need.
25.
Matt Baker undertook the Kazakhstan to Mongolia leg with Julia Bradbury.
26.
For Children in Need, Matt Baker rode a bicycle towing a rickshaw 484 miles from Edinburgh to London in 2011, which took about a week up to the fund raising night on 18 November.
27.
In 2015, Matt Baker co-hosted a three-part factual series Big Blue Live for BBC One.
28.
Matt Baker hosted alongside Steve Backshall, Liz Bonnin, Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall and Lindsey Chapman.
29.
In July 2017, Matt Baker co-presented Wild Alaska Live on BBC One with Steve Backshall and Liz Bonnin.
30.
In 2010, Matt Baker participated in the eighth series of Strictly Come Dancing, where he was partnered with professional ballroom dancer Aliona Vilani, finishing in second place to the winners Kara Tointon and Artem Chigvintsev in the final.
31.
In 2002, Matt Baker played himself in an episode of the BBC Drama series Cutting It.
32.
In 2008, Matt Baker returned to his native North East England to play the role of Caractacus Potts in a production of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang at the Sunderland Empire.
33.
Matt Baker met his future wife Nicola, a physiotherapist, when he was performing in the disco show at Pier 39 in Cleethorpes.
34.
Matt Baker was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire in the 2022 New Year Honours for charitable and voluntary services to fundraising.
35.
In early 2011, Matt Baker was elected as the president for the National Federation of Young Farmers' Clubs.
36.
Matt Baker has been elected to receive an honorary Doctor of Science from Durham University for January 2025.