Matt Baker's life off-screen - 'Not being needed' by kids and heartfelt wife admission

Matt Baker has been a much-loved staple of Countryfile for over 15 years, joining the show in 2009. He was also a familiar face on the BBC, co-hosting various programmes including the iconic children's show Blue Peter from 1999, where he shared the screen with TV legend Konnie Huq before his eventual departure.

Viewers will also remember his stint co-hosting The One Show alongside TV star Alex Jones until he decided to leave the network in April 2020. At the same time, Matt launched his own production company, Big Circus Media, intending to transition from the limelight to a behind-the-scenes role.

However, he's now back in front of the camera, delighting fans as the host of Channel 4's Our Dream Farm with Matt Baker. The show has already garnered significant popularity, with an eight-part series that began this April. The series sees Matt partnering with the National Trust to find a new tenant for a 600-acre farm located in the picturesque Eryri, North Wales.

Each episode features seven applicants vying for the opportunity to manage the farm, demonstrating their ability to handle a variety of complex farming challenges,

While we've come to know Matt well as a TV personality over his two-decade-long career, less is known about his life off-screen and his home life.

Who is Matt Baker's wife?

Since 2004, Matt has been married to Nicola Mooney, his childhood sweetheart. They reside in a beautiful farmhouse in Hertfordshire's Chiltern Hills with their two children.

Although they've been married for over 20 years, the couple actually met many years before getting hitched. In 1997, Matt was performing in a disco show at Pier 39 in Cleethorpes at the age of 20, which is where he caught Nicola's eye.

Heartfelt confession

Nicola, a physiotherapist and author of the Whistledown Farm Adventures series, has often been praised by her husband Matt over the years. In a 2011 interview with the Express, he revealed that his wife had played a significant role in his on-screen success.

He told the publication at the time: "I'm so lucky that I met my wife Nicola before any of this telly lark started. He added, "I knew way back then she was the one, and I don't think I could have done all this without her.

Rarely seen teenagers

Matt and Nicola have two teenagers, Luke (17) and Molly (15). Despite their father's fame over the years, the two children prefer to maintain a lower profile and avoid the spotlight.

Although Matt frequently discusses his family in interviews, they are rarely featured on his social media channels. However, the TV personality has previously mentioned that they play a vital role on the family farm.

On the Countryfile website, Matt shared a diary of his daily activities, revealing that his two children would assist with tasks such as marking sheep with a spray can and feeding the animals.

In 2020, when Matt decided to leave The One Show, he cited his wish to spend more quality time with his family as the primary reason. He shared with BBC One viewers: "Most of all, I'm looking forward to spending evenings with my wife Nicola, and finally getting to put my kids to bed."

'Not being needed'

During an appearance on The Mid Point with Gabby Logan podcast last year, Matt opened up about his home life. He confessed to grappling with the fact that his two children, now teenagers, no longer relied on him in the same way.

He reflected: "I think that's the thing with mid-life, your children become so capable that you're not needed in those same ways anymore, you cheer from the sidelines, you become their biggest supporter. But you're not needed in the same ways, so what're you going to do?"

In the same conversation, he revealed that this stage of his life had brought him closer to his parents, who were increasingly requiring his help and support in their later years.

Our Dream Farm with Matt Baker airs every Saturday on Channel 4 at 6pm.