Matt Baker has been grappling with a health battle for the past two years which can leave him bedbound.
The well-known Countryfile presenter injured himself while performing stunts involving chairs in the pantomime Goldilocks and the Three Bears during Christmas 2022.
Crashing onto his coccyx on stage, Matt — who turns 47 today — was left with a herniated disc and is still facing the effects today, having ongoing rehabilitation. He shared with The Sun back in September: “It’s a pain, it’s really challenging to get back and get fully fit again. I’m still like really… yeah it’s really tough.
“I’m just trying to do rehab all the time and stretch and do strength training exercises and that.”
He admitted to Gabby Roslin on Radio 2 back in September that despite his love for gymnastics, his back issues now limit his participation, reports Surrey Live.
He said: “I try (to do gymnastics). I’ve got a really bad back at the moment. I’m 46 now and you have to draw a line somewhere. I don’t mind walking a tightrope, or doing a few backflips or riding a unicycle. I just like to challenge myself. I think that’s what it is.”
While chatting with Gabby Logan, a fellow former gymnast, on her MidPoint podcast in March, Matt confessed his back injury prevented him from performing certain moves. Specifically, he said he could no longer do backflips.
He told the BBC Sport presenter: “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.”
In an attempt to manage his back problems, Matt, who is married to physiotherapist-turned-author Nicola Baker, has had nerve-blocking injections. This came after the issue became so severe last year that Matt felt he “couldn’t get out of bed” at Christmas.
Speaking to MailOnline he said: “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.”
Matt’s back issues aren’t the only setback his gymnastics career has faced due to his health. Speaking to BBC Sport, Matt revealed he quit competing at 14 after battling anaemia.
He explained: “At about 14, I started feeling really tired and I went along and had a few little tests and it turns out I was anaemic. You can’t say ‘well alright then, maybe I’ll have a few days off and I won’t get up at 6am’ because you just can’t do it. It was a tough decision, a really tough decision, because I never once felt like I didn’t want to go to the gym.”
Matt also attributes his success to his gymnastics background, stating it gave him “everything he has today” by teaching him discipline and driving him towards his career goals.
What is a herniated disc?
A herniated disc, often referred to as a slipped or ruptured disc, is when the soft center of a spinal disc pushes through a crack in its exterior casing. This condition can occur anywhere along the spine but commonly affects the lower back or neck.
The NHS advises people to see their GP if you have back pain and:
- painkillers are not helping
- the pain is not getting better after a few weeks
- a very high temperature or you feel hot and shivery
- unexplained weight loss
- a swelling in your back
- the pain is worse at night.
They advise calling 999 or going to A&E if you have back pain and:
- numbness around your bottom or genitals
- cannot pee
- lose feeling in 1 or both legs
- cannot control when you pee or poo
- got it after a serious accident, such as a car accident.