Matt Barbet

Matt Barbet was born on June 8, 1976, in Chester, Cheshire, England. He grew up in Cilcain, North Wales, and attended the Alun School in Mold, Flintshire. His academic journey continued at Cardiff University, followed by studies at the Cardiff School of Journalism. Barbet began his career in broadcasting as a newsreader for BBC Radio 1 on the Sara Cox Breakfast Show before joining BBC London in 2003. During his initial years at the BBC, he contributed to various news programs and presented BBC London’s Children in Need coverage in 2006. He also hosted STORYFix on BBC News 24, a program offering a lighthearted perspective on current events. By 2007, he occasionally served as a relief presenter for BBC Breakfast.

In September 2007, Barbet transitioned to 5 News on Channel 5, taking on roles as both a presenter and correspondent. He prominently covered significant news events for the broadcaster, including reporting from Haiti after the 2010 earthquake and embedding with the British Army in Afghanistan. By February 2011, he became the main presenter for the flagship 5 pm program after Natasha Kaplinsky’s departure. From September 2012 to April 2014, Barbet co-presented ITV’s Daybreak alongside Ranvir Singh. During this period, he also presented ITV News weekend bulletins and appeared as a contestant on The Chase: Text Santa Special in December 2013, winning a substantial sum for charity. Following Daybreak’s cancellation in 2014, Barbet returned to 5 News, anchoring their 5 News Tonight program.

From 2014 to 2015, he presented The Cycle Show on ITV4, combining his broadcasting work with his passion for cycling. In October 2015, he co-presented The Saturday Show for Channel 5 until July 2016. After departing 5 News in December 2017, Barbet transitioned into public relations, joining Freuds, a London PR firm, as a partner in 2018. In February 2024, he returned to broadcast journalism, joining Sky News as a regular news presenter for their Sunday show and other intermittent coverage.