BBC TV star Matt Baker welcomes new puppy to the family

The County Durham-born Countryfile star introduced the new arrival, named Ted, in a touching social media post showing the day his family chose him.

Matt revealed that the puppy had already been living with them for several weeks, although eagle-eared listeners to his pet podcast may have previously spotted a clue.

Alongside footage of the family meeting Ted, the 48-year-old wrote: “This happened a few weeks ago.

“The eagle-eared listeners of my pet podcast heard me say that we have a new pup at home and we’ve got baby gates everywhere.

Matt Baker (Image: PA MEDIA)

“Here’s the day we chose him and the start of something epic.”

Ted’s arrival comes after Matt told followers in May that his dog Bob had died.

The presenter said Bob had actually passed away some time before the announcement, but he had found the loss too painful to discuss publicly.

In an emotional tribute, Matt described Bob as a “brilliant dog” and the “ultimate companion” who had supported him through some of the greatest chapters of his life.

He wrote: “It’s with a very heavy heart that I’m letting you know our wonderful Bob is no longer with us.

“He’s been gone a while, but I haven’t been able to talk about it as I’ve been finding it so incredibly sad.”

Matt said Bob had been alongside him while he and his wife, Nicola, raised their two children and made significant changes to the family farm.

He continued: “Bob was a brilliant dog.

“He was there for me with his gentle soul as the ultimate companion through some of the greatest chapters of my life, from raising our kids to all the changes we made on our family farm.

“It’s broken my heart, but I feel hugely grateful to have had him in our lives, and I thank him from the bottom of my heart for everything he’s taught me and brought to our family.”

Concluding the tribute, Matt said: “I’m sure all you dog lovers will agree the reason we love our dogs so much is that the only time they break our hearts is when they leave us.

“RIP Bob.”

Bob, a Border Collie, died in 2025, although Matt did not feel able to announce the news until May 2026.

He has since spoken about the difficulty of losing an animal which had been present for so many important moments in his life.

Animals and farming have played a major part in Matt’s life since his childhood in the North East.

The former Blue Peter and The One Show presenter was born in Easington, County Durham, and grew up on his family’s farm in the Durham Dales.

His rural upbringing later became central to his television career, particularly through his work on the BBC’s Countryfile and the Channel 4 series Matt Baker: Our Farm in the Dales.

The latter programme followed Matt as he returned to the Durham farm to help make it safer and more accessible for his parents, Mike and Janice.