Special Guests 2024

Charlie Ireland

Friday 14 June

Charlie will be chairing a session on Benefits to your business of being better for the environment in the Future of Farming Theatre at 14:15 Friday 14 June.

Managing Partner CERES Rural

Charlie has 20 years of experience providing leading farm management and consultancy advice to clients across the West and South East of England. He specialises in farm management and strategic planning. Implementing the plans is the exciting part of the job, making a real difference to the future of a business.

Charlie is a registered agricultural valuer, qualified agronomist ICM & BETA and has been a local board member of the GWCT. Charlie advises a number of high profile and high net worth clients, including Jeremy Clarkson.

He loves spending time with his family and will soon struggle to come to terms with the fact his sons are faster, stronger and hit a cricket ball further than he can!

Matty Edgell

Friday 14 June and Saturday 15 June

At The Show

Matty Edgell – Winner of Channel 4’s The Great British Bake Off in 2023 – will put his skills into action on stage at the Food and Drink Theatre, as well as answering questions from the audience and signing copies of his latest book.

Catch him at the following times on both Friday and Saturday:

12:30 – My Bake Off Journey

14:30 – Baking Bread

15:30 – Cake

About Matt Edgell

Matty is best known as the winner of the Great British Bake Off 2023. As a dedicated teacher and sports enthusiast, Matty has degrees in Sports Coaching and Physical Education, alongside a PGCE in Secondary Education. He imparts knowledge with enthusiasm, fostering a love for learning. His expertise extends from the classroom to the kitchen. Beyond the academic realm, Matty transforms into a charismatic content creator, sharing the magic of baking and cooking. In a short period of time

Matty has amassed a large and engaged following on social media including over 420 K Instagram followers and 60 K TikTok followers. His culinary prowess and educational flair converge, creating a unique blend of inspiration for food fanatics of all ages. Matty is on a journey to inspire and create in the world of culinary delights. Matty has worked with brands such as Florette and Carnation.

Matt Baker MBE

Saturday 15 June

At The Show:

BBC Countryfile and The One Show presenter, Matt Baker MBE, will be participating in a Q&A session at the Future of Farming Theatre, followed by a book signings at 11am.

He will also take part in a bread baking demo in the Food and Drink Theatre at 2:40pm with Matty Edgell.

Finally, catch him co-hosting the Machinery Demo 2-2.25pm in the Main Arena, will Ally Hunter Blair.

About Matt Baker MBE:

BAFTA & RTS award-winning presenter Matt Baker MBE is a much-loved face on British TV, who has become hugely popular with the public, presenting shows such as BBC1’s Countryfile, The One Show, and Blue Peter.  His book – A Year on Our Farm: How the Countryside Made Me – is a Sunday Times best seller which, alongside his own productions for C4 – Our Farm in The Dales, follows Matt’s life on his beloved family farm, and Travels with Mum & Dad. His most recent production, Travels in the Country USA, screened on More4 in 2023.

Matt was awarded an MBE in the New Year Honours List 2022 for charitable and voluntary services to fundraising, raising over £45 million for Children In Need during his now legendary 12 consecutive years of Rickshaw Challenge rides.

Vittoria Panizzon

Saturday 15 June

At The Show

Italian equestrian and three-time Olympian, Vittoria Panizzon, will share her expertise and skill in demos and a showjumping course walk in the NEW Cotswold Showjumping Arena.

13:30-14:00      Demonstration in the Cotswold Ring

15:00-15:30      Q&A in The Stableyard area by the Cotswold Ring

About Vittoria Panizzon

Vittoria Panizzon is a world-class equestrian who has represented Italy at three Olympic Games. She has competed for Italy at every team level.

Sakunthala Chandrasekara

Saturday 15 June

Saku is an intelligence analyst from Herefordshire and was a contestant on Channel 4’s Great British Bake Off in 2023.She began baking when she moved to the UK with her husband in 2003, and her skills improved even more when she had her children and began baking for them. Saku leans into her Sri Lankan heritage when it comes to her baking, using cinnamon, cardamom and nutmeg in her sweeter bakes, and curry spices for her savoury pie fillings.

Saku will be bringing her unique cooking style with a local twist to our Food and Drink Theatre at 1:30pm, expect colourful flavours from Sri-Lanka with a regional influences from Herefordshire, Worcestershire and Gloucestershire.

John Craven OBE

Sunday 16 June

At The Show

BBC Countryfile presenter, John Craven, will take part in an ‘audience with’ session followed by a signing of his book ‘Headlines and Hedgerows: A Memoir’ at the Future of Farming Theatre at 1pm.

About John Craven OBE

John Craven OBE is best known as the presenter of the hugely popular John Craven’s Newsround, a role which established him as a household name spanning two generations. He is equally well known as presenter of the long-running Countryfile, BBC1’s rural and environmental current affairs programme, which he joined in 1989. John also co-presented the seasonal Countryfile Diaries series for BBC1 Daytime.

John became one of the BBC’s longest standing presenters of long-running hit shows over the years. Starting with John Cravens Newsround (which celebrated its 50th anniversary on 4th April 2022), he was a host on Saturday morning children’s television including Multi-Coloured Swap Shop and Saturday Superstore. Children once voted John among their 100 All-Time Greats. He also presented Country Cops for BBC2 and shared his genuine passion for antiques in Craven’s Collectables for Anglia TV.

John’s other presenting roles have included BBC2’s Castle in the Country, co-presented with Gloria Hunniford and Live from Chatsworth for BBC1. Christmas regularly saw John presenting wildlife specials on BBC1’s Animal Sanctuary. John has also hosted BBC1’s Songs of Praise, co-hosted Britain’s Heritage Heroes, a 15-part series for BBC2, and was also the host of Beat The Brain, a quiz series again for BBC2.

In 1996, the Royal Television Society appointed him a member of its exclusive Hall of Fame, in recognition of an outstanding contribution to British television.

He was awarded an OBE for services to Broadcasting in the Millennium Honours List.

The focus of a special documentary The John Craven Years, which aired on BBC2 on Christmas Eve 2011, John took a look back at his broadcasting career.

John Craven’s long-awaited autobiography Headlines and Hedgerows: A Memoir was published in 2019 by Michael Joseph.

In 2021 John celebrated 50 years as a BBC presenter and his 1250th episode of Countryfile by revisiting parts of the country that hold special memories for him.

JB Gill

Sunday 16 June

At The Show

JB Gill – JLS band member, CBeebies presenter and farmer – will share his thoughts and experience of farming at the Future of Farming Theatre, followed by a book signing at 2:45pm.

There will also be chance to catch JB at the Food & Drink Theatre, taking part in ‘The Bookshop’s take on Sunday lunch’ at 12:30pm and in the Main Arena, where he will take part in the presentation of the Overall Supreme Livestock Champion of the Show at 3:45pm.

About JB GILL

As well as being a presenter, author, farmer and singer. JB is an Ambassador for Farms For City Children and The Royal Countryside Fund.

Ally Hunter Blair

Everyday

At The Show

Born Mucky and First Time Farmer presenter and Herefordshire farmer, Ally Hunter Blair, will be sharing his farming experience at the Future of Farming Theatre.

He will also be hosting a Machinery Demo in the Main Arena.

See timetables for more details.

About Ally Hunter Blair

Young(ish) farmer in Herefordshire.
TV: Born Mucky/First Time Farmers/Inside Out
Full time tractor cab singer.

Kaleb Cooper

Sunday 16 June (Fathers Day)

You can catch Kaleb at the show at the following times:

11:15am – 12pm  an Audience with Kaleb Cooper – Future of Farming Theatre (followed by a book signing with Rossiter books)

1.30 – 2:15pm in the Food & Drink Theatre for an ‘audience with’.

2:45 – 3:10pm for the  Machinery Demonstration in the Main Arena

Phil Vickery

Sunday 16 June

He will be doing ‘meet Phil Vickery’ sessions throughout the day on this Raging Bull clothing stand.

As World Cup winner and England captain, Phil Vickery has had a stellar rugby career. Besides his heavy involvement in the company, Phil is an ambassador for the Princes Countryside Fund and finds time to also represent national charities such as The Wooden Spoon & Pied Piper Appeal. Having recently completed a trek up the Atlas mountains with Kenny Logan to raise money and awareness for Doddie Weir’smotor neuron disease Foundation .

As well as having an invested interest in his first love, Rugby, and the outdoors, Phil’s passion is cooking. He proved his cooking credentials when he won Celebrity MasterChef and has his own rare breed of Cattle bred at Raging Bull HQ. Culminating in opening his own restaurant in 2019.  He is often seen on television hosting or cooking on multiple mid-morning food shows. Phil has also recently embarked on a speaking tour of the U.K. discussing his playing career and future endeavors.

Raging Bull is the nickname acquired by Phil Vickery in the early part of his rugby career.  Playing in an international game against Italy he was facing a renowned opposition prop known as ‘the Bull’. Sir Clive Woodward the England coach commented to the media that England had a bull of their own – a Raging Bull called Phil Vickery.  This name suited the young and talented prop who played with ferocity and courage and it remains his nickname to this day.