
Countryfile's Matt Baker speaks out on 'time apart' from wife for new career
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'Countryfile' star Matt Baker and his wife Nicola have opened up about their time apart as she dives into her burgeoning writing career.
Famed for their Channel 4 series, Our Farm in The Dales, the couple have won the hearts of many as they run a sheep farm on the idyllic Durham hillsides, where Matt grew up.
While Nicola has spent years focusing on physiotherapy and raising two children, she's also been quietly nurturing her talent for writing. What began as a hobby is now a serious vocation with Nicola having penned three children's novels and more on the horizon.
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With Matt's ongoing television engagements, this hard-working pair shared insights into their respective paths during an intimate conversation on Lorraine Kelly's sofa.
During the chat, Lorraine touched on their separate pursuits asking: "You go off doing your own thing writing the books, and you go off doing your own things around Britain, so there are times where you are apart. But don't you think sometimes that works?", reports the Mirror.
Matt reflected on their individual freedoms, affirming: "We're such doers in our lives, and we're so supportive of what each other wants to do, we've just found our way through."
In the midst of their hectic lives, Nicola spoke about valuing their shared moments: "We make the most of the time that we have together and prioritise that - and make the most of that."
The pair, who stumbled upon each other serendipitously when Matt was performing at a Cleethorpes disco, have since celebrated over 20 years of marriage, watched their children Molly and Luke grow, and felt their connection deepen.
(Image: Getty Images)
(Image:)
(Image: ITV)
Nicola dipped her toes into the world of children's literature with her debut, A Whistledown Farm Adventure: Finding Hope, launching in February last year, followed by the successful releases of Rescuing Ruby and Meeting Meg, and she teases another title due out this year.
Meanwhile, Matt prepares to grace television screens once more today, joining Sammi Kinghorn on Countryfile as they take viewers through the picturesque landscapes of East Devon.
Countryfile enthusiasts can also anticipate Adam Henson's return, as he lovingly tends to the newest additions to his livestock in the Cotswolds countryside.
Tune in to Countryfile this Sunday afternoon on BBC One at the special time of 5.25pm – it's an episode you won't want to miss.
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The Independent
an hour ago
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Channel 4 to air BBC-commissioned documentary Gaza: Doctors Under Attack
Channel 4 will air a documentary about the plight of medics in Gaza after the BBC last week announced that it would not show the film following concerns it may create 'a perception of partiality that would not meet the high standards that the public rightly expect'. The BBC had commissioned Gaza: Doctors Under Attack more than a year ago from an independent production company called Basement Films but had delayed airing it until an ongoing review into a different programme on the region was completed. The one-off documentary, which includes witness accounts from frontline Palestinian health workers in Gaza and documents attacks on hospitals and clinics, will now air on Channel 4 on July 2 at 10pm. The film has been 'fact-checked and compiled by Channel 4 to ensure it meets Channel 4 editorial standards and the Ofcom Broadcasting Code', an announcement said. 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She added: 'Doctors Under Attack was commissioned by another broadcaster, which took a different view of the original content and decided not to broadcast it. 'That other broadcaster will have had its own reasons for not showing the programme. 'For ourselves, after rigorous fact-checking and assessing the film against our own editorial criteria as well as against all regulatory requirements, we decided that it was both compliant with the Ofcom Broadcasting Code, but also that it was important journalism in the public interest. 'Any small changes were carried out with the producers to update the film and give viewers as much information as possible. 'The result is harrowing, no doubt. It will make people angry, whichever side they take, or if they take no side. 'But while we would never judge anyone who decides that showing something could create a risk of being thought to be taking sides, we believe there are times when the same risk is run by not showing anything at all.' Basement Films said: 'This is the third film we have made about the assault on Gaza since October 7th at Basement Films, and whilst none of them have been easy, this became by far the most difficult.' The production firm said it owed 'everything' to its Palestinian colleagues in Gaza and 'the doctors and medics who trusted us with their stories'. It added: 'We want to apologise to the contributors and team for the long delay, and thank Channel 4 for enabling it to be seen.' Gaza: Doctors Under Attack was greenlit for broadcast by Ms Compton, and was made by reporter Ramita Navai, executive producer Ben De Pear, who was previously editor of Channel 4 News, and director Karim Shah for Basement Films. Mr De Pear was also previously the executive producer on 2019's For Sama, which won a Bafta and was nominated for an Oscar. The BBC pulled the documentary How To Survive A Warzone in February after it emerged that its 13-year-old narrator was the son of a Hamas official. 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'Therefore, we are transferring ownership of the film material to Basement Films. 'Contrary to some reports, since we paused production of Gaza: Doctors Under Attack in April, it has not undergone the BBC's final pre-broadcast sign-off processes.' 'Any film broadcast will not be a BBC film,' the BBC said. Their statement added: 'We want to thank the doctors and contributors and we are sorry we could not tell their stories. The BBC will continue to cover events in Gaza impartially.'


North Wales Chronicle
an hour ago
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Channel 4 to air BBC-commissioned documentary Gaza: Doctors Under Attack
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'For ourselves, after rigorous fact-checking and assessing the film against our own editorial criteria as well as against all regulatory requirements, we decided that it was both compliant with the Ofcom Broadcasting Code, but also that it was important journalism in the public interest. 'Any small changes were carried out with the producers to update the film and give viewers as much information as possible. 'The result is harrowing, no doubt. It will make people angry, whichever side they take, or if they take no side. 'But while we would never judge anyone who decides that showing something could create a risk of being thought to be taking sides, we believe there are times when the same risk is run by not showing anything at all.' Basement Films said: 'This is the third film we have made about the assault on Gaza since October 7th at Basement Films, and whilst none of them have been easy, this became by far the most difficult.' The production firm said it owed 'everything' to its Palestinian colleagues in Gaza and 'the doctors and medics who trusted us with their stories'. It added: 'We want to apologise to the contributors and team for the long delay, and thank Channel 4 for enabling it to be seen.' Gaza: Doctors Under Attack was greenlit for broadcast by Ms Compton, and was made by reporter Ramita Navai, executive producer Ben De Pear, who was previously editor of Channel 4 News, and director Karim Shah for Basement Films. Mr De Pear was also previously the executive producer on 2019's For Sama, which won a Bafta and was nominated for an Oscar. The BBC pulled the documentary How To Survive A Warzone in February after it emerged that its 13-year-old narrator was the son of a Hamas official. In a statement last week, the BBC said it had paused production of Gaza: Doctors Under Attack in April, having made a decision that they could not broadcast the film while a review into a separate Gaza documentary was ongoing. The BBC said that with both films coming from independent production companies, and both about Gaza, it was right to wait for any relevant findings – and put them into action – before broadcasting the film. The BBC statement said they had for 'some weeks' been 'working with Basement Films to find a way to tell the stories of these doctors on our platforms.' They added: 'It became apparent that we have reached the end of the road with these discussions.' 'We have come to the conclusion that broadcasting this material risked creating a perception of partiality that would not meet the high standards that the public rightly expect of the BBC. 'Impartiality is a core principle of BBC News. It is one of the reasons that we are the world's most trusted broadcaster. 'Therefore, we are transferring ownership of the film material to Basement Films. 'Contrary to some reports, since we paused production of Gaza: Doctors Under Attack in April, it has not undergone the BBC's final pre-broadcast sign-off processes.' 'Any film broadcast will not be a BBC film,' the BBC said. Their statement added: 'We want to thank the doctors and contributors and we are sorry we could not tell their stories. The BBC will continue to cover events in Gaza impartially.'