Matt Baker has revealed the surprising interest Queen Elizabeth took in one aspect of his life away from the spotlight during an encounter with the late monarch. The former Countryfile presenter, 48, has spoken about his experiences with the Royal Family and their shared love of animals, recalling a conversation with the Queen involving one of his beloved pets.
Queen's Fascination with Blue Peter Pet
Matt was speaking about his new podcast, Matt Baker's Petcast, which sees him invite celebrity guests into his caravan to discuss their animals and the role they have played in their lives. The presenter recalled a previous meeting with the Queen, when he had his Blue Peter dog Meg with him.
He said: "But, of course, there's all of that passion around the Royal Family's love for animals as well, and their connection with dogs." Matt explained that the Queen's interest immediately turned to the Blue Peter pets and their lives away from the television studio.
He said: "I know, certainly when the Late Majesty came into the Blue Peter studio, I had Meg the Blue Peter Dog there. She literally, again, just made a beeline. She just wanted to talk about the Blue Peter pets, and the life that they had, and where they were, and she was fascinated to hear that Meg was mine, and would come home with me, and didn't go off to a handler, or anything like that."
Shared Passion with King Charles
He also reflected on conversations with King Charles, saying their shared enthusiasm for animals offered an easy way to connect. "And similarly with the King, now, you know, just chatting about farming, and the sheep, and what have you," Matt said.
"When you've got that shared passion of animals, that's something very different, it's almost like a different language, isn't it? When you speak animal."
Animals Reflect Personality
Matt was joined in the conversation by presenter Clare Balding, who suggested animals could offer an unusually honest reflection of people's personalities. "I think, also with dogs and horses, they do reflect back at you. The best or the worst of you," she said.
"So they don't know who you are. They've got no understanding of, you know, the King or the Queen's status. But they will respond with an honesty that maybe people who are aware of status don't always." Clare added: "So if you're patient and kind and respectful, they'll want to be around you." She said the opposite could also be true, with Matt agreeing that animals provide immediate feedback based on how someone treats them.
Petcast Guests and Personal Loss
Matt's podcast has seen him welcome guests including Clare, Bill Bailey, and David and Frankie Seaman, with the presenter previously describing the appeal of hearing people discuss their pets. "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.
The podcast comes after Matt experienced his own heartbreaking loss when his beloved border collie Bob died. Sharing the news 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." Matt described Bob as "a brilliant dog" who had been by his side through major moments in his life, including raising his children and changes on the family farm.
