Matt Baker has revealed the bold comment he made to BBC bosses when he landed his role on Blue Peter in 1999, as well as the thing he said was missing from his life after moving to London.
Baker, known for his work on Countryfile, The One Show and Strictly Come Dancing, made his TV debut on the children's programme at the age of 21. He grew up in the countryside in Durham before relocating to London in 1999 to become one of the show's presenters.
What Was Missing in London
Speaking to Lorraine Kelly on her ITV show, Baker said: "A few months went by, and I moved to London. It was crazy. I had this new job and London, I was like, 'What's this?!' And that thing that was missing in my life was a dog. So, I got Meg, and she was like an action dog."
Meg was his companion on the programme for six years before they left in 2006. Kelly responded: "She was something! Goodness me."
The Bold Comment to BBC Bosses
Baker explained that Meg came from a neighbour's farm to his family's farm in Weardale. He recalled: "The thing was, when I joined Blue Peter, I had all these interviews and stuff, and they said to me at the very beginning, 'Of all the things that you've seen on Blue Peter recently, what would you like to have done?'
"I'm sure they were expecting me to say jump out of aeroplanes, I said, 'I would love to have trained your dogs because I don't think they're trained very well', which is very bold as a young 20-year-old. But, I was so passionate about it. I said to them, 'Look, I'm really into dogs.'"
He also revealed that a whistle at the start of the Blue Peter theme tune served as a signal to Meg that his focus would be on the programme, giving her freedom to wander off. During one amusing episode, Meg jumped into the shot during an S Club 7 performance and jumped up at one of the band members on stage.
New Channel 4 Series
Meg appeared regularly on the show alongside Baker for seven years before they both left to return to farming life. She passed away in 2011.
Baker also discussed his new Channel 4 series, Our Barn in the Dales, in which he and his wife Nicola transform an old barn on their property into a home. He said: "I can't tell you, it's so exciting. To be so close to mum and dad as well, the heart of that show is what our family is all about, being together and making life easier for mum and dad."
He added: "So all of those tones are in there, all the animals are in there, and yet you've got this build and renovation going on with Nicola and me. The builders are amazing, they're like part of our family now."
Lorraine is available to watch weekdays on ITV from 9:30am.
