Countryfile host Matt Baker told This Morning’s Ben Shephard that he couldn’t really comment on a particular farming topic as he appeared on the ITV show earlier today.
The TV favourite was back on screens on Wednesday (March 19) for an appearance on This Morning. Matt was there to chat about his new show, Our Dream Farm with Matt Baker.
The series follows The National Trust as it attempts to find a new tenant for a 600-acre farm in the spectacular Snowdonia, National Park in North Wales.
But Matt was quick to shut down Ben when the conversation turned to the new rules about inheritance tax facing farmers.
Countryfile’s Matt Baker tells This Morning star ‘I’ve got to be careful’
On This Morning, Matt told Ben and co-host Cat Deeley: “I’ve always championed British farming as much as I possibly can. That’s why I make the shows that I do.”
However, Matt then added: “I’ve got to be careful with my BBC farming cap on as far as what I say is concerned, but my opinions have never ever changed.
“We desperately want a vibrant rural community going forward. How farmers are producing our food, they’re looking after our landscape. It’s easy to look out the window and see how beautiful the British countryside is, but it’s easy to forget the ones who are creating it.
“They’re producing our food and looking after our landscape and they deserve the most support of any industry.”
‘It’s very difficult’ says Matt Baker
Talking about the changes to the inheritance tax system, Matt explained he very much “supported farmers”, pointing out he believed in “heritage”.
That’s all I can say at the moment.
The TV star then refused to speak any more about the matter. He told Ben: “That’s all I can say at the moment. It’s very difficult.”
Matt’s reason for keeping tight-lipped is down to the BBC having strict impartiality rules and guidelines that its presenters must adhere to.
Farmers and agricultural land owners have been exempt from inheritance tax since 1984. This is down to several tax reliefs that have been applied to estates. New laws, though, will see the initial ruling end if an estate is worth more than £1m.
Matt reveals ‘double life’
Matt’s This Morning appearance comes after he opened up about his life in the Durham countryside with his wife, Nicola, and their two children.
Talking to TV Guide, Matt admitted it feels like he lives “a double life” going from the showbiz world to then being “out in the fields”.
He shared: “The countryside has made me who I am. I love the pace of nature; how the seasons change and it’s really important. I am immersed in farming.” Matt then added: “I live a double life actually. When I’m not on telly I’m out in the fields.”
He continued: “It’s a world I’m incredibly proud of. And it’s a world I want to make shows about. We all hanker for it. I am at my most creative in the countryside. I am dyslexic and I don’t read well but I love animals.”
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