EXCLUSIVE: Countryfile favourite Matt is making a series all about dogs and how useful they are to humans
It’s been six years since Matt Baker bowed out from The One Show, but now he’s returning to the BBC with his first solo series.
The former Blue Peter favourite, who is still a regular on Countryfile, is to front new series Matt Baker: Life With Dogs for BBC2 daytime, made by his own TV company Big Circus Media.
It will look into the many different roles that dogs provide for humans – ranging from working farm dogs and therapy dogs to assistance dogs for those with disabilities and service dogs which work alongside the police and military.
Matt told The Mirror: “Dogs have been a lifelong passion of mine and I’m so excited to be making this series about the bond between humans and dogs. As well as acquiring my professional dog training qualifications I’m going to be meeting a whole range of incredible canines that enrich our lives from cancer detection to conversation. It’s the ultimate show to celebrate our lives with dogs.”
One BBC source added: “Matt is a much-loved presenter and viewers will be thrilled to welcome him back with this new series. As a life-long dog-lover, he is the perfect frontman for this show, which examines the many varied ways in which our four-legged friends are more than just pets. The programmes will take a deep dive into the many different ways in which dogs are indispensable to humans.”
It’s hoped the series will prove as popular as ITV’s For the Love of Dogs, which launched in 2012 with the late Paul O’Grady as host and is now fronted by Alison Hammond. Pete Wicks has also had success with his For Dogs’ Sake series on UKTV, made in collaboration with the Dogs Trust.
The series, which is currently being filmed and is likely to launch later this year, comes after Matt, 48, lost his own dog Bob, a collie, earlier this month, leaving him heartbroken.
In a post earlier this month, Matt said he and wife Nicola, and their two kids Luke, 18, and 16-year-old Molly were “incredibly sad” after the loss of their border collie Bob.
He wrote: “Bob was a brilliant dog. He was there for me with his gentle soul as the ultimate companion through some of the greatest chapters of my life from raising our kids to all the changes we made on our family farm.
“It’s broken my heart but I feel hugely grateful to have had him in our lives and I thank him from the bottom of my heart for everything he’s taught me and brought to our family. I’m sure all you dog lovers will agree the reason we love our dogs so much is because the only time they break our hearts is when they leave us. RIP Bob.”
The stories featured will look at how dogs can be trained for medical detection, allowing them to warn their owners of oncoming medical episodes such as seizures. In the countryside dogs are often used for herding and guarding while they can also proved great comfort as therapy dogs and are often used within hospitals, hospices and care homes.
Matt now splits his time between his 11-acre smallholding in the Chiltern Hills, Hertfordshire, and his parents’ farm in the Durham Dales. He regularly trains dogs in his spare time and has always had at least one by his side. Bob had helped out on the farm where the family keeps chickens and sheep. They also have a dachshund called Ivy, who will be two in the autumn.
Matt announced he was leaving The One Show after nine years alongside Alex Jones in 2019 – by the time he departed in 2020 the pandemic had hit. At the time he said he was excited about new opportunities – “but most of all I’m looking forward to having dinner with my family and being able to put my kids to bed”.
He joined the show a few months after coming second in 2010’s Strictly Come Dancing series, replacing comedian Jason Manford on the sofa.
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