Matt Baker has revealed there was one quiet moment that made him realise a major chapter of his life had truly come to an end. It wasn’t a dramatic announcement or a farewell on screen—but something far more personal that changed the way he looked back on his years at the BBC. Looking back on the career that took him from Blue Peter to becoming one of the BBC’s most familiar faces on Countryfile, Baker has opened up about why that moment meant so much—and why it felt like saying goodbye to an era that shaped his life.

Countryfile presenter Matt Baker rose to fame on Blue Peter and has since become a firm favourite on TV screens

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Matt Baker said he didn’t need to think twice about leaving his role for his family(Image: ITV)

Countryfile’s Matt Baker marked the end of an era when he announced he would step away from his role on The One Show.

The broadcaster featured in a repeat episode of Love Your Weekend with Alan Titchmarsh, discussing his children maturing and his involvement in helping his parents manage their farm in the Durham Dales.

Matt presented The One Show for almost a decade, becoming one of its most familiar faces alongside a string of co-hosts. But despite the comfort and profile that came with the prime-time BBC role, he has made clear that swapping the sofa for a life on the land was never really in doubt.

Alan Titchmarsh asked Matt whether the “life-changing” decision was a big step to take, to which he candidly replied, “To be honest with you, Alan, it was kind of the reverse of that,” he said, explaining that the bigger culture shock came when he first left home for London to join Blue Peter as a young man.

He admitted that arriving in the capital felt completely alien to someone raised in the countryside, recalling that he found himself wondering how on earth he would adapt to such a different way of life, reports the Express.

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Matt Baker presented The One Show with Alex Jones(Image: Simon James, GC Imagesvia Getty Images)

Matt revealed he was just 20 when he realised farming would always be central to who he was, even as his television career was taking off.

The Countryfile star then discussed what ultimately brought him back to the farm full-time— a serious accident involving his mum. One of the sheep had charged into her as she stood in the doorway of the sheep pen, leaving her with a badly broken leg.

Matt said the farm required significant changes after the incident, and that returning to help was never in question. “I didn’t think twice about heading back there and doing what needed to be done,” he said.

Matt still spends time away from his wife and family as he is still very much part of the Countryfile family.

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Matt Baker with his wife and co-star Nicola (Image: ITV)

During a previous appearance on Lorraine, the couple opened up about how they cope with being apart.

Lorraine Kelly asked: “You go off doing your own thing writing the books, and you go off doing your own things around Britain, so there are times where you are apart. But don’t you think sometimes that works?”

“We’re such doers in our lives, and we’re so supportive of what each other wants to do, we’ve just found our way through,” Matt sweetly shared.

Nicola added, “We make the most of the time that we have together and prioritise that — and make the most of that.”

Love Your Weekend with Alan Titchmarsh is available to watch on ITVX.