Matt Baker, well-known as the face of BBC’s Countryfile and Channel 4’s Our Farm in the Dales, has built his career around the British countryside, yet his journey wasn’t always smooth. Now settled on an 11-acre property in the Chiltern Hills with his wife Nicola and their teenage children, the presenter recently opened up about a challenging period early in his career.
Born and raised on a farm in the Durham Dales, Matt’s love for rural life runs deep. But when he was 10, his family moved to a new farm on the western edge of Durham. Later, as his broadcasting career took off, he faced a stark change: relocating to London to present the children’s programme Blue Peter. This transition brought with it a “shock to the system,” marking a “really unhappy time” for Baker as he grappled with leaving behind the pastoral life he cherished.
He told HouseBeautiful magazine, “When I first moved from the Durham Dales to a flat in London to work on Blue Peter, it was a shock to the system because I wasn’t used to living like that.” The city’s fast pace and lack of natural surroundings weighed heavily on him. However, the presenter found solace when he and his family moved into a small cottage with land to keep sheep again. “The longest I’ve ever been without a flock of sheep is six months,” he shared, highlighting how deeply connected he is to farming.
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For Matt, nature is more than just a backdrop; it’s where he feels most productive, creative, and fulfilled. He thrives outdoors, valuing the changing seasons and the cycles of farming as essential parts of his life. This love for the land is evident not only in his work on Countryfile but also in his return to his family’s organic sheep farm in Durham, featured in Our Farm in the Dales after his mother, Janice, was seriously injured.
Beyond Countryfile, where he has been a fixture since 2009, Matt also brought his authentic farming passion to Channel 4’s Our Dream Farm, following aspiring farmers competing to run a large farm in Snowdonia National Park. His career path also includes a notable nine-year tenure co-hosting The One Show.
Matt Baker’s story is one of balancing a high-profile media career with a heartfelt dedication to rural living. This Sunday night, viewers can catch him on BBC One and iPlayer at 7.15 pm for another episode of Countryfile.