family man
Matt Baker fights back tears as he recounts mum’s ‘really nasty’ accident that forced him to take over family farm
MATT Baker has opened up on the "nasty accident" which saw his mum forced to have an operation on her broken leg and sparked the creation of new series Our Farm In The Dales.
The former The One Show host, 43, opened up to ITV anchor Lorraine Kelly about the painful incident which sparked a new direction for his telly career.
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Matt moved back up north to help his parents run their remote 100-acre sheep farm, before documenting the process for the Channel 4 series.
He told the ITV daytime show: "It’s fascinating how all this started, because for anybody that doesn’t know, my mum had this really nasty accident.
“She was sorting the sheep out, and she ended up basically breaking her leg, and she ended up having to have an operation on the back of her leg.
“We basically have been refurbishing the farm, and it was never meant to be a television show at all and because I left The One Show, and I was back up there.
“We were refurbishing the farm, so having all of these meetings, because I set up a production company straight after leaving.
“All these meetings were about other programmes to make with other presenters and other teams and stuff, and I said, ‘Look, I’m really sorry with everything that’s gone on.
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“And this show just basically evolved from that conversation, they said, ‘Would you film it?' and I was a bit you know, I have never put my family on TV or anything like that before.
“So, all of the things that you see us do we would be doing anyway, whether that be on telly or whatever.
“We basically had done two series of these programmes, and they asked us if we would make a Christmas special, well that was my wife’s dream to make a Christmas special.
“So yeah, we did one with a real Christmas tree, we actually filmed it back in October."
Host Lorraine kindly asked how Janice, who needed a total knee replacement, is faring now, to which the telly favourite replied: "Yeah, she’s alright.
“She is relishing in all the changes we made, it’s quite something you know in a farm and family where you get that opportunity to wipe the slate clean.
“My children, they have been a big part of the changes that we’ve made and have implemented those.
“Also, I think for my mum and dad, they have really enjoyed the fact that we have all done this together and it came out of this scenario none of us saw coming.
“Now they are getting older, I think what’s rung true to viewers is that those family issues of when you start looking after your parents in the same way they have looked after you."
ONE SHOW EXIT
On December 4, 2019, Matt revealed he had quit The One Show after nine years at the programme's helm.
He said he's looking forward to "putting his kids to bed" after presenting the weekday evening chat show with Alex Jones.
He told viewers: "At this time of year, I like to take stock and reflect. The One Show has been a massive part of my life for almost a decade now and I have loved every second of being a part of it. But I am going to be leaving this green sofa in the spring. It's time to give someone else the opportunity to see how bighearted you, our One Show viewers, really are."
Matt then officially left the show on March 31, 2020.
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Yet viewers have already called for him to return after blasting his "muppet replacements."
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Countryfile's Matt Baker introduces a Plant Britain special episode
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