Matt Baker admits 'I'd lost my identity' after devastating health diagnosis

Wales Online

03-05-2025

Matt Baker admits 'I'd lost my identity' after devastating health diagnosis
Matt Baker, who has come back to our screens for a new series of Channel 4's Our Dream Farm, explained that he learned about the health issue when he was just 13, leaving him "really upset"
Matt revealed that the condition meant he had to "slow down"
(Image: BBC )
Countryfile's very own Matt Baker has admitted that he felt like he had "lost" his identity when he discovered a health issue as a teenager.
Matt, currently gracing our screens with the second series of his Channel 4 show, Our Dream Farm, disclosed that this medical setback required him to "slow down", which he admits left him "really upset" as it directly impacted his progress as a budding gymnast.
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In a heartfelt revelation during a 2023 interview, Matt shared how being diagnosed at just 13-years-old took a toll on his sports ambitions, resulting in his inability "to continue" competing at the same level.
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Having embarked on his gymnastics journey at five, progressing to junior competitions and clinching a North of England title, his later stint as a commentator for notable Olympic Games, including Paris in 2024, reflected his continuous connection to the sport.
Matt said he learned about the health issue when he was just 13
(Image: Getty )
The now 47-year-old's teenage diagnosis would have a significant impact on his progress, with Matt left feeling like he'd "lost" his identity, but it didn't stop him.
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Reflecting on that period to the Telegraph, he confided: "When I was told aged 13 that I was anaemic and had to slow down my gymnastics training, which meant that I wouldn't be able to continue at the level I was at, I was really upset."
Despite the challenges, Matt adapted and excelled elsewhere, stating: "I'd lost my identity in a way. But then I just committed to something else: I went off and became a North of England pole-vaulting champion and did sports acrobatics."
Common symptoms of iron deficiency anaemia, a condition caused by a lack of iron, as referenced by the NHS, include fatigue, shortness of breath, palpitations, pale complexion, and headaches.
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Anaemia can result from various factors, including heavy periods, pregnancy, the use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) like aspirin and ibuprofen, conditions such as piles and stomach ulcers, inflammation in the bowel or oesophagus, and certain types of cancer.
Matt's diagnosis would have a significant impact on his progress
(Image: ITV )
Matt's commentary role in gymnastics has surprised some fans, as noted in his statement to TV Times: "It makes me laugh when people ask, 'Why is the guy from Countryfile commentating on gymnastics?!' But yes, I love the eclectic mix of things that I do and have done."
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On Instagram, Matt posted newspaper clippings from his past, sharing that gymnastics was his "life" and attributing his current success to the lessons he learned from the sport.
He expressed: "For all those asking... here's some clippings from my Old scrap book! As a lad gymnastics was my life... it taught me the simple recipe if you work hard you get a result. Without my sport I would never be where I am today... #gymnastics #workhard."
You should see your GP If you suspect you have iron deficiency anaemia. You can learn more about the condition via the NHS website here.
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You can next catch Matt on Our Dream Farm with Matt Baker on Saturday, May 3 from 6pm to 7pm on Channel 4.