Matt Baker gives insight into time with Queen 'The tone of our encounter changed sharpish'

express.co.uk:

the Queen when they first met due to their shared love of animals.The former Blue Peter presenter described how the “tone of their encounter changed” completely as soon as they got onto the subject of dogs.

Matt, 44, spoke about the Queen’s love of animals back in May in an article he wrote for Countryfile Magazine.The star described how animals “can be a great leveller” for anyone, regardless of background.“I don’t think there’s anything more levelling than animals; they simply don’t care who we are or where we are from,” he reflected.He went on to note that the Queen’s most recent portrait featured “two beautiful white fell ponies”.The star then explained that he was not surprised by this, as he had borne witness to the Royal Family’s love of animals in the past.“Behind the curtain of ceremony, I’ve been lucky enough to experience the Royal Family’s passion for animals first-hand,” he wrote.“I remember my very first meeting with the Queen; as soon as we got on to the subject of my Blue Peter dog Meg, and the fact that I grew up on a farm, the tone of our encounter changed sharpish.“The Queen was fascinated to hear how, as a working sheep-dog, Meg coped with the Blue Peter studio.

Our monarch just got it and understood my challenges dealing with Meg’s herding instincts.”Matt also recalled taking one of the Queen’s fell ponies for a walk around the lawns of Windsor Castle.He even claimed to have delighted in mucking out the pony’s stable, calling it his “ultimate claim to fame”.Matt is a true animal lover with a farming background and has presented Countryfile since 2019.He started his television career with Blue Peter, where he presented between 1999 and 2006.He then went on to present The One Show for ten years.