Matt Baker

Matt has had an expansive career making some of TV’s biggest returning unscripted brands for all the major UK channels. From creating a first series, devising a format, and working out its editorial scope to running well-established projects and breathing new life into tired formats Matt can turn his hand to any challenge. Always a strong storyteller, he has a keen interest in character-led narratives that arc across individual episodes as well as the series.

He most recently ran the well-loved BAFTA and NTA-winning The Repair Shop series 8 & 9 (Ricochet for BBC) including the Christmas Special, taking the show to a primetime-only slot for series 9. He also Series Produced Chateau DIY (Kindling Media for Channel 4) taking over this successful series following Brits renovating Chateaux in France with the responsibility of rebranding and re-invigorating the format and introducing new editorial elements. During The Apprentice 14 (Boundless for BBC1) Matt took a pivotal role from casting and task development to running shoots and driving the boardroom. For the access-based series Paul O’Grady: For the Love of Dogs 6 (Shiver for ITV) he ran the location side from Battersea Dogs Home; and during his tenure on Four in a Bed 8, 9 & 10 (Studio Lambert for Channel 4) Matt delivered 200 episodes whilst breathing fresh life into this well-loved format.

 An experienced manager of people who handles tricky situations with care and kindness, Matt runs a tight team and is used to dealing with PDs and staff both before the shoot and in the field. He is very adept in the edit having worked in the suite to cut first eps of new formats setting the tone and style as well as overseeing multiple suites (13 simultaneous edits is his record) in a more managerial capacity. Always collaborative and creative he is used to working with high-profile talent as well as contributors, commissioners, and the vagaries of channels.

Matt has created successful new formats with Cooking Up a Fortune (Frieda for Channel 4) and the structured reality series Tamara’s World (Monkey Kingdom for ITVBe). As a producer he has worked on major reality shows such as Big Brother, Celebrity Big Brother and Hell’s Kitchen and as a director made prime time series including 10 Years Younger (Maverick Channel 4), Celebrity Wedding Planner (Renegade for Channel 5) and was the lead PD creating the first hit series of Obsessive Compulsive Cleaners (Betty for Channel 4).