Matt Baker hosts emotional last The One Show episode from home
Meanwhile, the BBC has confirmed that it will not be replacing Baker, instead using a range of guest presenters
When Matt Baker announced towards the end of last year that he would be leaving The One Show in spring, it's highly unlikely he would have foreseen the circumstances of his final appearance.
But last night, the presenter — who has worked on the show since 2011 — bid farewell to the show from his home, where he has been self-isolating for the past two weeks due to a member of his household displaying coronavirus symptoms.
Responding to a question from co-host Alex Jones about how it felt to present his final episode from outside the studio, Baker said that it was "slightly odd" but added, "to be honest with you, it's not essential travel for me to come in and say goodbye when I could do it from here."
Speaking more generally about his departure from the show, Baker told Jones, "We've had some good times. I've loved every single second of sitting alongside you. I've watched your life change as well, getting married, two children."
The former co-host had previously explained his reasoning for leaving, stating, "I’m looking forward to having dinner with my family and being able to put my kids to bed."
Meanwhile, an emotional Jones paid tribute to Baker's stint on the show, saying, "I know when you're going to breathe because we've been together that long, and we've had such a laugh along the way.
"I thank you, honestly, from the bottom of my heart."
Baker's final episode saw appearances from celebrities including David Walliams and David Suchet, while some of the young people who he had previously worked with on Red Nose Day's Rickshaw Challenge also said their farewells.
The BBC has confirmed that Baker won't be officially replaced, with a range of guest presenters being used to fill the gap instead.
A spokesperson told RadioTimes.com, "The One Show will be drawing on our existing family of presenters — made up of men and women — to present alongside Alex Jones."
Current relief presenters on the show include Patrick Kielty, Amol Rajan, Rylan Clark-Neal and Angela Scanlon.
Authors
Patrick Cremona is the Senior Film Writer at Radio Times, and looks after all the latest film releases both in cinemas and on streaming. He has been with the website since October 2019, and in that time has interviewed a host of big name stars and reviewed a diverse range of movies.
