Matt Baker has revealed the bold remark he made to BBC bosses shortly after joining Blue Peter in 1999, when he was 21 years old. Speaking to Lorraine Kelly on her ITV show on Tuesday morning (October 27), the presenter discussed the decision that set the tone for his early career on the children's programme.
Early Career and Bold Admission
Baker, who has since become a familiar face on programmes such as The One Show, Countryfile and Strictly Come Dancing, began his television career on Blue Peter. During the interview, Kelly touched on his dog Meg, who appeared on the show alongside him, joking: "She was something! Goodness me."
Baker explained that Meg came from a neighbour's farm to his family's home in Weardale. He recalled that when he joined Blue Peter, he faced a series of interviews, and at the very beginning, the producers asked him: "Of all the things that you've seen on Blue Peter recently, what would you like to have done?"
He said: "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."
Life with Meg on Blue Peter
Baker added that he was passionate about dogs and told the team: "Look, I'm really into dogs." A few months later, he moved to London, and feeling that something was missing from his life, he got Meg, describing her as "an action dog."
He explained that a whistle at the start of the Blue Peter theme tune would alert Meg that his attention was about to turn to the programme, giving her the freedom to do as she pleased. One memorable incident saw Meg jump into a shot during a performance by S Club 7, leaping up at one of the stars.
Meg was a regular on the show with Baker for seven years before they both left to return to farm life. His four-legged companion died in 2011.
New Channel 4 Series
Elsewhere in the interview, Baker discussed his new Channel 4 series, Our Barn in the Dales, in which he and his wife, Nicola, are converting an old barn on their land into their home. He said: "I can't tell you, it's so exciting."
He added: "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. 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 9:30pm.
