All eyes were on on this morning's episode of (April 6), as the TV host confessed to a previous job that sent fans reeling online. Viewers have seen him raising pigs and chickens while helping out on his family's organic sheep farm in the Durham Dales, but his past as a nightclub dancer is worlds apart from that.
He revealed all on the cookery and celebrity show, which is hosted by Tim Lovejoy and . When asked to guess which of those in the room might have had a secret past as a nightclub dancer, guests instantly assumed it was singer Estelle - but instead it was sheepishly grinning Matt who put his hand up. As the likes of Suggs, Ben Miller, Emily Barber, Estelle and Sally Phillips looked on in astonishment, he revealed: "It was a 70s reenactment group that used to tour nightclubs.
"I spent a lot of my life as a gymnast when I was younger and I ended up in this dance group doing backflips and somersaults." He revealed that he'd been moonlighting as a "70s bartender" for the entertainment of party-goers and that he'd even donned women's clothing.
The chameleonic star, who has also hosted BBC's and during his career, confessed that he'd donned women's flared trousers and wigs to guarantee that he looked the part.
It might be worlds away from mucking out sheep pens on the Dales, but it actually wasn't a dramatic departure from Matt's childhood, which had seen him dabble in professional gymnastics from the age of five. The agile star went on to clinch the title of North of England champion and wowed judges with his flexibility.
But his world turned upside down when he was diagnosed with anaemia at the age of 14, which often left him exhausted and eventually led to him ending his sporting career. But had it not been for his setback, he would likely have been a gymnast "all his life".
He made a triumphant return to his dancing roots in 2010, when he and professional ballroom dancer Aliona Vilani paired up for . The dancing duo finished in a very respectable second place, losing out only to EastEnders actress Kara Tointon and her partner Artem Chigvintse.
Matt then later led the BBC's 2024 coverage of the Paris Olympics - and was amused by the shock and confusion shown by some unknowledgeable fans who perceived it as an unlikely fit for him.
He later joked to the TV Times: "It makes me laugh when people ask, 'Why is the guy from Countryfile commentating on gymnastics?!' I love the eclectic mix of things that I do and have done."
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