Matt Baker has revealed he was left in tears while recording an episode of his new podcast, Matt Baker's Petcast. The television presenter, known for Countryfile, welcomes guests into his caravan to discuss pets and the role they have played in their lives.
Susan Calman's story brought tears
Baker said a story shared by Susan Calman particularly struck a chord. He told Woman's Weekly: "Susan Calman had us all in tears when she talked about having her cats put down during the pandemic and not being allowed into the vet's room - it was really emotional."
He added that the mood quickly lifted: "But it wasn't all sad as within minutes she was doing West-End style singing, telling me that she has a musical introduction for all of her cats - whenever they walk through the door, she sings their intro theme tune. It was hilarious."
Guests and Baker's own loss
Alongside Calman, Baker has welcomed Clare Balding, Bill Bailey, and David and Frankie Seaman onto the podcast. "It's such a lovely thing because people love to talk about their pets and you see a completely different side to them," he said.
Baker recently experienced heartbreak himself after the death of his beloved border collie, Bob. In a statement on Instagram in May, he wrote: "It's with a very heavy heart that I'm letting you know our wonderful Bob is no longer with us." He added: "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... It's broken my heart but I feel hugely grateful to have had him in our lives."
Although Bob died at the end of the previous year, Baker said he was too upset to share the news publicly at the time. "I didn't feel I could talk about it publicly because I found it really difficult," he explained. "It was hard enough coping with the loss without then having to deal with all of the wonderful support from other people."
New dog Ted
The presenter has since welcomed a new border collie named Ted. After revealing the name on Instagram, fans shared their reactions. One wrote: "Ted Baker, he's going to be a class act," while another commented: "Oh my goodness, @mrsnicolabaker he is BEAUTIFUL!" A third added: "Oh darling Ted He will heal and bring much happiness, what a lucky boy to be sharing his life with you."
