Matt Baker has opened up about how his recovery is going after he suffered a herniated disc last year.
The former Blue Peter presenter, 46, was in rehearsals for a pantomime production of Goldilocks and the Three Bears when an incident with a chair caused him to hurt himself.
© Jeff SpicerTalking about the ordeal, he told The Sun: "It's a pain; it's really challenging to get back and fully fit again.
"I'm still like really... yeah, it's really tough. I'm just trying to do rehab all the time, stretch, and do strength training exercises and that."
It has been a long road to recovery for ex-gymnast Matt, who revealed back in February that he underwent hospital treatment. He wrote a gushing tribute to the NHS: "For a long time now, I've been dealing with a herniated disc. As an ex-gymnast, it's hard not to be able to bend forward, so I decided to have a nerve block injection.
"What a brilliant surgeon and lovely NHS team it was that did my treatment. Thank you all! (Also, a big thanks to the nurse who used to watch me on Blue Peter – the buttered toast was amazing)."
Following his treatment, in March, he sat down with Gabby Logan for an episode of her podcast The Midpoint, where he explained: "I've injured my back. I can't tell you how upsetting it is, as an ex-gymnast, not to be able to bend forward."
Clarifying the incident, he said: "I did my back in. I was doing a panto. I was doing Goldilocks and the Three Bears, and we were practising with the stunt chairs, and the chair wasn't set correctly and bang! I went down on my coccyx, and it turns out I slipped a disc in my back."
Despite being mid-recovery, Matt has been staying positive and proudly supporting his wife Nicola, who revealed her second book, Rescuing Ruby, has launched.
He wrote alongside a sweet video of his beloved: "Exciting news! Nicola’s finished her 2nd book in the Whistledown Farm Adventures series and it’s launched!!
"If the little readers in your family enjoyed the first one, then they’ll love Ava’s owl-inspired autumn adventures. Book 2 is available to pre-order now from wherever you buy your books, and it’ll be in the shops on 12th September. We’re all so proud of her. Happy reading!"
