An unusual chain of events led to Matt entering the world of showbiz…

 I never actually wanted to be a TV presenter. It all sort of happened – fate. I was a British champion gymnast when I was younger, and I ended up in a college production of the musical Grease – I was the stunt man doing the backflips and somersaults as a body double for the guy playing one of the lead parts. But he got laryngitis a couple of days before the show opened, and I ended up having to take his part! While in the show I got scouted, and I ended up at drama school in Edinburgh.

It was a whole new world for Matt.

I am dyslexic. I've never really read a book in my life. And so it was a very bizarre world to be in, where all these people were really into literature, and I was just a guy who had a very practical upbringing on the farm. But I loved that element of performance from my gymnastics days. I was on the acting degree course for about a year and a half when my then girlfriend, now wife, Nicola - her Aunty read in a magazine that Blue Peter were looking for a new presenter. I thought, “That'd be brilliant - what a gig that would be!” But we weren't actually allowed to go and audition for anything while we were still in drama school, not until we were fully trained. But I thought, “Oh well, I'll just nip in now!”

Matt & his wife, Nicola.

Matt took his future into his own hands.

basically rang up directory enquiries and got the telephone number for BBC Television Centre. I'd watched an episode of Blue Peter, and I'd seen the last name that came up, Steve Hocking. I was like, this guy, he must be the head honcho, this is the guy I need to speak to. So when I rang I said, “Will you put me through to Steve Hocking?” And unbelievably, they put me through to his office!

I kept getting through to his secretary and just kept calling back until the third time round she said to me, “Hang on a minute. What is this all about?” And I said, “Well, I think I might be the next Blue Peter presenter!” At which point she said, “Well, we've got all the people that we want - we're all set to start the auditions.”

But I said, “So you're not going to give me a chance then? What would I have to have done to have got to this point?” And she said, “Well, you’d’ve had to have sent in your show reel”. And I said, “What's a show reel?” After she explained I said, “Look, if I can get my show reel to you tomorrow, would you have a look at it?” There was this weird pause. I said, “Go on. What have you got to lose?” And she said okay!

Matt didn’t hesitate…

I put the phone down and shouted to me Dad, “Dad, get the video camera. We're going to make a show reel!” And we went off around the farm filming. The first thing is me turning up on a tractor, going, “Welcome to the Durham Dales!” And I did some back flips and somersaults around the farmyard. Talked about my drama skill. And I lambed a sheep. We were in lambing season, and I thought, “The townies will love this!’

It was just the most random video. And the last thing I did was I filmed my telephone number on a piece of paper at the end, and then sent it in. And sure enough, they rang me up the next day, I got to speak to Steve Hocking, and the rest is history!

He has countless highlights from his eight years on Blue Peter.

We were off all over the world all the time - I filled three passports! Everywhere from the Arctic Circle to the Amazon jungle, from the Serengeti to the Sahara.

I spent an amazing time with a nomadic tribe in the Atlas Mountains of Morocco. I loved meeting people that were animal folk. That nomad with his goats, could tell that I worked stock in the same way as he did, and we got on really well though we couldn't speak a word of each other's language. He'd never even been on the other side of his mountain before, but at the end of the filming he said that he’d loved it so much that he wanted to come and experience my life in the same way that I had experienced his. So we flew him over, and he came and stayed on the farm. Absolutely unbelievable. I did all the marine stuff, the paratroopers stuff, in Catterick and down in Lympstone.

I did a lot with the Horse Guards, the King's Troop and riding with the military. I did a hang-gliding world record, met royalty - it was amazing.

After 8 years it was time to move on… but his career didn’t slow down. He’s interviewed countless incredible people on The One Show.

Every night you'd have some incredible star on the sofa. But because it's live, you're constantly making sure that they're all right. It's quite intense for them and they look to you for reassurance. Every time the show goes off into the little films, you're just there spending time with them, and prepping for what's coming up, and then - bang – you’re live again. I loved my time at The One Show.

In 2010 he took part in ‘Strictly’, finishing as runner up with dance partner Aliona Vilani.

It took me back to my gymnastics days; intense training followed by a performance. I did do quite a bit of acrobatics, much to the annoyance of the late, great Len Goodman. He used to call my backflips, flip flops! I can't tell you how intense it is. And as the competition progresses, you've got more and more dances to do. We really went for it – we wanted to technically do well as well as have a good time, and we did!

Celebrating agricultural life at the Lincolnshire Show

Matt has raised millions for Children in Need through the Rickshaw Relay Challenge

And now he is an essential part of the Countryfile family.

I've grown up with Countryfile, so it was amazing to get involved with. I started doing bits and pieces when it was in the morning slot, because of my farming background. Then when it moved to its evening slot, it morphed into more of a family / lifestyle programme, as opposed to more rural news, so they asked me if I'd help with that transition, which was a real privilege.

He's honoured to be able to fly the flag for the British countryside community.

The heartbeat of that show is the country folk and the farmers that make Britain what it is. We have the finest farmers in the world. I feel very privileged to come from that community, and I'm very proud that it is still in a prime-time slot.

He was chosen to carry the Olympic flame in 2012.

Ever since I was a little lad, it was my dream to be part of the Olympics. But I ended up having to stop my gymnastics in my mid-teens because I got anaemia. It meant I just couldn’t train to the level that was needed so I made the heartbreaking decision to stop. When I got to carry the torch through my home city it was a real lump in your throat kind of experience. I’ve still got the torch that I had in the relay, it’s a real prized possession of mine.

Matt is also a gymnastics commentator and has worked at not one but five Olympic Games.

It’s incredible to still have that connection with the sport. I've always been engulfed in the magic of the Olympics. My first one as a commentator was Beijing and it was everything that I hoped it would be. It's so funny because I had a bet with one of my school mates that I would go to the Olympics. I was obviously thinking of it from a gymnast perspective, but when I got there, I texted him and went, “Boom!”

He’s made some much-loved shows starring his Mum and Dad…

It started with ‘Our Farm in the Dales’, where we re-versioned the farm during lockdown. My mum had broken her leg and needed a knee replacement. So we all moved in with my mum and dad on the farm, and we adapted it to make it more manageable for them going forward. We did a few little jaunts away and Channel 4 absolutely loved them. The show ‘Travels with Mum and Dad’ was born out of that. My mum and dad are brilliant. I love spending time with them. It was treasured time.

And while we're on the topic of interviews, we also caught up with tennis ace, sports presenter and ‘Strictly’ superstar Annabel Croft about her incredible career, from Grand Slams to grand ballrooms! Catch the full interview here.