Matt Baker lifts lid on The One Show exit: ‘I said goodbye on the laptop and that was it’

Matt Baker has opened up about his departure from The One Show one year after his last appearance as a presenter, revealing that he hasn’t looked back since.

Joining Holly Willoughby and Phillip Schofield live from his farm in County Durham on today’s episode of This Morning, the 43-year-old host said he left the show to run his family’s farm after his mum had an accident.

‘It basically happened because of the situation we were in,’ Matt said. ‘My dad rang me up one morning totally out of the blue and said, “your mum’s had an accident”. She was down in the sheep pen and got knocked over by a flock of sheep.

‘She broke her leg and she was in the hospital, and it turned out she needed a knee replacement – and here we are.’

‘There was no party, no big goodbye, no send-off, you just said goodbye on your laptop and shut the laptop and it was gone,’ Phil remarked of Matt’s last day at The One Show.

‘It was propped up on an ironing board,’ Matt replied. ‘Bizarrely, it was a year ago to the day that I left.

‘I said goodbye on the laptop and that was it.’

Matt announced his One Show departure live on air in December 2019 after nine years on the series.

‘It’s time for me to wish you a very early Happy Christmas because this is my last One Show before the holidays as I’m off to perform at the London Palladium, but I will be back to say Happy New Year in January,’ Matt began.

‘I would like to take this opportunity to say that at this time of year I like to stop, reflect and take stock.

‘The One Show has been a massive part of my life for a decade now and I’ve loved every second of being a part of it, but I’m going to be leaving this green sofa in the Spring.’

‘It’s time to give someone else the opportunity to see how big-hearted and generous you, our One Show viewers really are.’

This Morning airs weekdays at 10am on ITV and The One Show airs weeknights at 7pm on BBC One.

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