OUR Farm On The Dales’ Matt Baker got emotional during an amazing tribute on Saturday’s show.
Matt, 43, moved back to his family farm from London last year after his mum Janice suffered an accident while working.
His journey returning to the farm and working alongside his family is being documented for the Channel 4 show and this week saw him take on the task of fixing his dad, Michael’s beloved car.
The car had sat in the garage for more than two decades and Matt was left shocked with its overhaul.
“For 20 years, my dad’s old car’s been rusting away as an eyesore at the side of the farm,” he explained.
“It’s been weighing heavy on his mind.”
Michael added: “It’s caused me a lot of sleepless nights, because it’s just a shame to see it go.”
“And I couldn’t do anything about it.” Matt then explained how he took it to a local restoration garage to have it fixed.
Matt, well known for his work on Countryfile, admitted “I want her to go again.”
“I just hope she comes back.”
Matt added: “It would mean the world if it could be saved, but I’m not holding out much hope.”
When the moment of truth came, the men stood on one side of the garage door which opened and showed the mechanic sitting behind the wheel.
He turned the key and the engine roared to life.
“There she is!” Matt shouted excitedly.
“I tell you what, that takes me back. Even that engine. That has hit me in the heart that has.
“Oh my word, it’s coming back! Everything’s working.”
Matt then praised the mechanics as “wizards” for bringing the car back to life and added, “dad’s not going to believe it.’
“Mother’s not going to believe it. I tell you, I think my mother was hoping that it would disappear.
“It’s just amazing, I expected to come in here and have a poke around underneath – I never in a million years expected you to reverse it off the ramp.”
An emotional Matt continued: “It’s incredible. I think what we need to do is show it back to my dad and say ‘look dad, this is the story, what do you reckon?’
“He’s going to be amazed. What’s making me feel more emotional is knowing what this is going to mean to my dad.”
Matt added: “We waved off the car at the top of the farm and I think he thought to himself ‘that ain’t coming back’ and he’s beaten himself up for a long time about the condition that it’s in.
“I think he’ll be delighted to hear she’s doing everything in her power to get back onto the road.”
Matt was born in Easington, County Durham where his father ran a news agents and his parents owned a small holding.
He was educated in the town until he was 10 when his parents bought a farm west of Durham and they moved.
The presenter was a British junior gymnast and sports acrobatics champion but had to give it all up when he was 14 after he was diagnosed with anaemia.
He studied drama at Queen Margaret University College in Edinburgh and as a student worked as an entertainer and part of a comedy disco-dancing revival show called Disco Inferno.
Matt is married to physiotherapist Nicole while he was part of the show and they married in 2004 and have a son called Luke and a daughter called Molly.
The presenter joined the Countryfile team after Blue Peter, first as a presenter for Countryfile Summer Diaries on weekday mornings on BBC One before co-presenting the evening show.
He also hosted the first series of Secret Britain with Julia Bradbury and One Man and His Dog with Kate Humble.
Matt then joined The One Show as a guest presenter from May to August 2010 standing in for Jason Manford. He took over as a permanent co-host with Alex Baker.
