Matt Baker has addressed the confusion surrounding his diverse career, as he sets to return to the Olympics 2024. Due to being a seasoned presenter known for hosting The One Show, Countryfile and Our Farm in the Dales, many fans have been left unaware about his past expertise in the sport and have questioned his credibility to commentate. The 46-year-old presenter, who started his gymnastics journey as a child, has previously won a national contest and even scored a perfect 10 from a judge at the British Amateur Gymnastics Association when he was just 12 years old.
In 2021, he shared some newspaper clippings from his youth on Instagram , writing: "For all those asking...
here's some clippings from my Old scrap book! As a lad gymnastics was my life...
it taught me the simple recipe if you work hard you get a result. Without my sport I would never be where I am today..
. #gymnastics #workhard." As he prepares to return to his commentating role for this year's Olympics in Paris, he told TV Times: "It makes me laugh when people ask, 'Why is the guy from Countryfile commentating on gymnastics? ! ' But yes, I love the eclectic mix of things that I do and have done.
" Back in 2022, Matt Baker wowed audiences with his gymnastic prowess in the pantomime Goldilocks and the Three Bears, where he played Joey the clown and stunned viewers by walking on a tightrope, riding a unicycle, and performing backflips. Discussing his skills at the time, he said: "It's all this wonderful stuff, because I walk a tightrope. I was a British champion gymnast when I was younger, so all the acrobatic stuff is something I've always loved.
"And when I was a young lad, actually instead of asking for a mountain bike for Christmas I asked for a unicycle. So I was lucky Santa brought me one. It will be quite intense.
I'm looking forward to getting fit for it, to be honest with you." Matt also said that continuing such performances as an adult was "a good excuse" to stay active at his age. However, shortly after these comments, the presenter suffered a back injury while on tour, which resulted in a slipped disc.
When Gaby Roslin quizzed him about his athletic side on her The Mid.Point podcast earlier this year, he revealed that he was still suffering from the injury. When asked if he could still do backflips, he confessed: "No, I can't now.
I've injured my back. I can't tell you how upsetting it is as an ex-gymnast, not to be able to bend forward. "I did my back in.
I was doing a panto. I was doing Goldilocks and the Three Bears, and we were practising with the stunt chairs, and the chair wasn't set correctly and bang! I went down on my coccyx, and it turns out I slipped a disc in my back." Matt is set to make a comeback as a commentator for this year's Olympics, joining Craig Heap and Christine Still, with studio guest Beth Tweddle.
Catch more of Olympics: Paris 2024 today from 1pm on BBC One..
