Countryfile star Matt Baker is still dealing with the effects of a devastating back injury. The 46-year-old presenter and animal lover , who rose to fame on Blue Peter from 1999 to 2006, had admitted he is no longer ‘able to bend forward’ after hurting himself during pantomime rehearsals. Matt ‘slipped a disc’ in his back, and as a gymnast he’s devastated by the aftermath of the incident. Asked if he can still do backflips, he told Gabby Logan on the Mid Point podcast : ‘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.’ He joked that chatting about various aches and pains is a sign of his age, before explaining exactly how his injury occurred. He revealed: ‘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.’ A herniated disc is where the soft cushion of tissue between bones in the spine push out. Although the TV veteran did try to get himself on the mend with training and rehab, he now needs to have injections for pain relief. Gabby pointed out that his wife Nicola Baker is a physiotherapist, and he replied: ‘I know, exactly – so we tried all that. Went for the nerve block [injection].’ Although Gabby suggested he would ‘get that mobility back’, he isn’t convinced. While Matt ‘tries his hardest’ to stay fit, he added: ‘Those are the challenges as you get older.’ He opened up about his injury earlier this year, and admitted he had to spend
Christmas Day in bed. He told the Mail: ‘I was walking on tightropes, riding unicycles and juggling. The performances got more and more difficult. ‘By Christmas Day I couldn’t get out of bed. It was horrendous, absolute agony. We did presents in the bedroom. ‘My wife was very kind and put a Christmas tree up in there too, and hung baubles off the doorknobs. I had to have Christmas dinner off a tray. It was my worst Christmas.’ Meanwhile, Matt is still keeping busy, and he’ll be fronting new Channel 4 travel show Baker’s
Britain on More 4 as he celebrates ‘the extraordinary people, places and things that make up the fabric of life in the UK’. Got a story? If you’ve got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the Metro.co.uk entertainment team by emailing us celebtips@metro.co.uk, calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page – we’d love to hear from you. MORE : Jeremy Clarkson is the farming hero Countryfile never was MORE : Matt Baker devastated by death of beloved family dog: ‘Friend for life’ MORE : The best April Fool’s Day jokes from brands