Fronting a new show honouring Brits, Matt Baker has opened up about his journey with dyslexia and admitted the condition sometimes left him in challenging situations
Matt Baker fronts an inspiring new show honouring the people behind the UK’s landscapes(Image: Steven Landles / Channel 4)
While he’s now at ease with his dyslexia, Matt Baker still remembers a more difficult time in his life, when his condition triggered dread more than empowerment.
Matt Baker is no stranger to an adventure. From vaulting over obstacles on Blue Peter to delving into topical discussions on The One Show and traversing landscapes in Countryfile, he’s become a staple of British television – equal parts charm, grit and gumboots.
Now, at 47, the presenter returns to our screens with Matt Baker’s British Isles on More4 – a four-part love letter to the UK’s landscapes and, more importantly, the people who shape them.
When he’s not on the road filming, Matt’s life is slower-paced, grounded in the routines of the farm life he shares with his wife Nicola and their two children, Luke and Molly.
The family now lives in Hertfordshire, but in 2021, they moved to the Durham Dales to help his mother, Janice, tend to the family farm during the pandemic.
It’s a rhythm he’s kept up – returning to embrace rural life in all its muddy, windswept glory. “There’s nothing quite like taking the dogs out, seeing the sheep and doing some DIY,” Matt says. “I love building things and getting messy.”
And Matt doesn’t mean the odd shelf or cupboard. From sheds to patios to entire barns – he’s tackled it all. “Right now, I’m building a pathway and some gardening beds,” he says, “I have loads of projects. Some are still resting. Growing up on a farm teaches you these things.”
For Matt, there’s another comfort in working with his hands. “I’m very practical because I’m dyslexic,” he says, “Reading isn’t really my thing. I prefer making things and painting.”
His diagnosis has shaped not only how he learns, but also how he connects. “I don’t know what it’s like to not have dyslexia,” he says. “When I was younger, I’ve never been more terrified than I was when asked to read aloud.
But he’s learned to live with his condition wholeheartedly. Even now, working on TV can throw curveballs. “When somebody throws a name in front of you on live TV, you have to read it,” he says, “But I just read what I think it says and hit it with confidence.”
Matt’s outlook is refreshingly grounded and inspiring. “I wouldn’t change a thing,” he says. “Being neurodivergent means you think differently. You keep telling yourself, ‘I’m ready for this. And you can. Dyslexia has taught me you can achieve anything.”
Matt Baker honours the Brits that contribute to the UK’s bustling life (Image: Big Circus Media)
That same strength shines through in his new series, with Matt highlighting the small ways Brits contribute to the UK’s bustling life. “I’ve had many adventures around the UK and the world,” Matt says, “I’ve met incredible people in amazing places.” But this new series is perhaps his most personal yet.
Travelling from the Scottish Highlands to the white cliffs of Kent, and even the UK’s busiest train station in London, Matt marries his two great loves: the land and the communities that call it home.
“It’s the culmination of my experiences,” he says, “It’s a real reminder of the foundations that make Britain great and of what you can do if you set your mind to something.”
In Scotland, Matt met a self-taught mushroom grower whose fungi are now in demand by Michelin-starred chefs. In Newport, he visited a former Aston Martin factory turned heritage workshop – and lived out a childhood dream by sitting behind the wheel of James Bond’s car.
And the surprises kept coming – like the moment he was handed the whistle blown at the 1966 World Cup final. But it was the people who stole the show.
“The Aston Martin workshop used to be the original factory. The people working there use traditional techniques,” Matt says. “One woman got her job there after making a pair of curtains for someone’s caravan! It’s a wonderful story.”
Filming for the four-parter took place in the four corners of the UK, from Kent and Wales to the Scottish Highlands and Northern Ireland(Image: Big Circus Media)
It’s this blend of everyday magic and quiet heroism that gives the show its heartbeat. “People help others every day in our fast-paced world,” Matt says, “It was important for me to include what they do and how they dedicate their time to it. It’s what they deserve.”
Not that the filming came without challenges. In South Wales, Matt scaled a National Grid pylon – because of course he did. “I had to sit an exam and do a full training day at the National Grid Centre,” he says, “I wasn’t even allowed up if I didn’t.”
And yet, for all the breathtaking scenery and jaw-dropping feats, it’s the connections he made along the way that Matt treasures the most. In Mumbles, he met two brothers who unexpectedly inherited a pier.
“What a thing to inherit but also to have to do something in the future,” Matt says, “Those guys are great. But I’ve stayed in touch with most of them – everybody wants to know when the show is coming out!”
In Northern Ireland, Matt visited a carpet factory in Portadown – an experience that hit close to home. “As a sheep farmer, I really wanted to go to that factory, because of the connection it has to wool,” he says.
Looking ahead, Matt has no plans to slow down – but he’s become more intentional about how he spends his time. “When you get to a certain age, you start thinking about what really matters,” he says, “For me, that’s living better, being present and recharging from the fast-paced world. And preserving what’s special.”
With Matt Baker’s British Isles, he’s done exactly that – shining a light not only on the breathtaking beauty of Great Britain, but on the heart and soul of those who keep it running quietly every day.
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