Countryfile's Matt Baker opens up on co-star's 'emotional' exit as he admits 'it was hard'

Matt Baker has candidly shared his experiences filming his new Channel 4 series, acknowledging that "it was hard" when it came to eliminating contestants.

National Trust: Our Dream Farm with Matt Baker is an eight-part series where Matt collaborates with the National Trust to find a new tenant for a vast 600-acre farm in the breathtaking Eryri.

Each week, the hopeful participants undertake authentic farming tasks to prove they are the right fit for this once-in-a-lifetime chance to take over the farm.

The competitors must consider what managing the farm involves. They will be evaluated on their ability to maximise all the farm's potential, from environmental sustainability and agricultural innovation to tourism.

While the Countryfile presenter clarified he wasn't making the final decisions about who was eliminated each week, he confessed in an exclusive interview that he found it "hard to say goodbye" to the contestants.

In the series, Matt works alongside National Trust judges Trystan Edwards and Giles Hunt, who assessed potential tenants before choosing a winner.

Speaking exclusively to Reach PLC, the Countryfile host discussed the emotional toll of bidding farewell to potential tenants each week.

"Yeah, of course, it was hard to say goodbye, and there were plenty of emotional moments in the series," he revealed.

"I didn't make the [overall] decision, but I was pleased with the outcome and the right tenant was selected, but at the same time, for the tenants who didn't get selected, it is a huge learning curve because they can now be even better when they apply for their next tenure and they will know what they are doing."

"At the end of the day, this is people's lives, and they work so hard for it," he added.

The television personality also touched upon the commitment from the contestants, explaining "it was challenging for them".

"For me, any show that puts our agricultural world front and centre is vital, as far as I'm concerned. Not a lot of people know of the world of tenant farming and the fact that a third of British farmers are tenant farmers," Matt continued.

"I think you only have to go out into the countryside and be so thankful that it looks the way that it does because of our farmers."

The synopsis for this week's episode reads: "The remaining six hopefuls welcome a new sow and nine piglets to the farm, and are challenged to construct the perfect pig pen and shelter for them.

"Everyone heads to the stunning nearby tourist hotspot of Portmeirion to demonstrate their sales prowess. With direct selling featuring in the majority of the applicants' business plans, they need to prove that they can sell premium Welsh produce direct to consumers."

Our Dream Farm with Matt Baker airs on Saturday at 7.10pm on Channel 4.