26-523: Phil Fletcher (born 27 October 1976) is a British puppeteer. He established his puppet manufacturing and performance company, Gluvets, at the age of 11. After briefly working in manufacturing he found summer work performing in holiday camps and became a full-time puppeteer in 2002. In 2009 he was cast by the BBC as the puppeteer for Hacker T Dog for continuity segments on the CBBC Channel . Fletcher gave Hacker
52-416: A Bafta for best children's presenter in 2010. The Hacker character was given his own series Hacker Time which ran for 63 episodes and was nominated for eight Baftas, including best children's performer for Fletcher in 2013. The character has also appeared on breakfast news programming, Today at Wimbledon and Celebrity Mastermind (his specialist subject was The Pet Shop Boys ). Fletcher says that
78-422: A Pet Shop Boys tribute band, known as The Pound Shop Boys. As well as the band's hits he sings children's television themes and novelty chart hits. In 2018, Fletcher purchased at auction one of the few surviving Emu puppets used by Rod Hull; he paid £8,860 for the puppet, well in excess of its £750–£1,000 estimate. The puppet joined others in his collection, such as George from Rainbow , Keith Harris ' Orville
104-763: A contender on BBC 's Celebrity Mastermind twice. She first competed in 2016, when her specialist subject was the Jurassic Park films and she finished in 3rd place. She returned in February 2024, when her specialist subject was the Arctic Monkeys and she finished in second place. In 2022, a clip of Layfield and Hacker T. Dog presenting CBBC HQ, resurfaced and went viral . The original clip from 1 November 2016 featured Hacker deadpanning to Layfield "We're just normal men... We're just innocent men", which prompted Layfield to break character and laugh . While some assumed
130-464: A further Bafta nomination for best children's performer in 2017 for his work on the CBBC Channel. In 2022 a segment that Hacker filmed with co-host Lauren Layfield in 2016 became a viral meme. A programme trailer featuring an interrogation scene preceded the segment. Fletcher told his sound operator not to play the usual background music during the segment and told Layfield to move her head close to
156-545: A hiatus from CBBC in April 2014. During his absence, numerous guest presenters filled in for him during his usual weekday afternoon slot. Hacker returned temporarily on 24 May 2014, before making a permanent return on 18 June 2014. A 2016 clip in which Hacker deadpans to host Lauren Layfield "We're just normal men... We're just innocent men", prompting Layfield to break character and laugh while Hacker continues to deadpan, resurfaced in 2022 and went viral . While some assumed
182-450: A number of talent agencies Fletcher found summer work at holiday resorts run by Butlins , Pontins and Haven Holidays and became a full-time puppeteer in 2002. In 2008 he judged Puppet Contest 2008 : A Space Odyssey, a competition organised by Project Puppet. Fletcher never aspired to appear on television, as he thought it too small a market, and concentrated on live performances. He did put some of his performances on YouTube and
208-643: A voice for the first time and the character proved popular, receiving his own 63-episode TV series, Hacker Time , which was nominated for eight BAFTAs. From 2017 Fletcher voiced Sweep in Sooty and from 2021 has appeared as Larry the Lizard on Buffering . Phil Fletcher was born in Hindley, Greater Manchester , on 27 October 1976. He developed an interest in puppeteering as a child, after seeing programmes featuring The Muppets and, his favourite, Rod Hull and Emu . Fletcher
234-556: Is performed by puppeteer Phil Fletcher . Hacker was introduced as a character in the CBBC television programme Scoop , performed by Andy Heath . Hacker is the unintelligible non-spoken sidekick of Digby Digworth, as the two attempt to try and find a news scoop but chaos ensues along the way. After the character became popular, Hacker was added as a weekday presenter at the CBBC office in May 2009, with
260-685: The Russia v Belgium match at the 2014 FIFA World Cup . Hacker appeared on an episode of Celebrity Mastermind in December 2016, his specialist subject being the Pet Shop Boys . He came in second place, losing to television chef Paul Rankin . The character has appeared in the following roles: Lauren Layfield Lauren Layfield (born 1 December 1987) is an English television and radio presenter and journalist who has worked for CBBC , Capital FM and Radio 1 . Layfield studied and graduated from
286-516: The Duck , and Sooty and Sweep. Fletcher also performs alongside Ricardo Autobahn in the duo Pound Shop Boys, covering theme tunes to children's television programs in the style of Pet Shop Boys . Hacker T Dog Hacker The Dog (born 27 October ), more commonly known as Hacker T Dog , is a Border Terrier dog puppet who appears on the CBBC television channel in the United Kingdom . He
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#1733085626639312-523: The Hacker puppet. Fletcher had Hacker look into her eyes and say "We're just normal men". Layfield asked "What do you mean, normal men?" and Fletcher, as Hacker, replied "We're just innocent men". Layfield struggled to maintain composure through laughing and snorted loudly, described by the Big Issue as "the most famous snort in the country". Fletcher said "Her reaction was genuine because she didn't know what I
338-607: The Muppets, and Basil Brush , for his personal collection. From 2017 Fletcher provided the "voice" for Sweep on Sooty . He has also appeared as Larry the Lizard in the ITV sitcom Buffering (2021–) alongside Stirling who wrote and stars in the programme. Fletcher has always lived in Hindley, except for his first two years at CBBC when he lived in London, and has two dogs. Fletcher also appears in
364-608: The Place , co-hosting with Ed Petrie . Since then, she has made one appearance in the game show Ultimate Brain and four in the panel show The Dog Ate My Homework . Layfield's television work has continued, presenting for the Match of the Day spin-off show, Match of the Day Kickabout , as well as Morning Live and as a reporter on The One Show . Layfield has the distinction of competing as
390-724: The University of Salford with a degree in English and creative writing. She joined CBBC continuity in September 2015, at the end of the one-off TV special Hacker's Birthday Bash: 30 Years of Children's BBC, going on to co-host the BAFTA -winning design series The Dengineers with Mark Wright . In April 2017, Wright left and was replaced with Joe Tracini , who Layfield continued to present with until her own departure in 2019. In January 2016, she joined another children's television programme All Over
416-440: The break between primary and secondary school. Fletcher moved into making puppets from cloth and foam and retains the first puppet he made in this style, a blue creature named Josh. Fletcher studied design at Wigan and Leigh College for a year as there were no puppet-making classes available. He continued to make puppet performances whilst working on production lines at Ingersoll Rand and Alphason Design factories. After joining
442-531: The clip had context before the exchange, Fletcher later explained that there was none, and he just ad-libbed the line to make Layfield laugh. Hacker is very fond of television presenter Sue Barker and mentions her often. In 2009 Hacker was the mascot for the Wimbledon Lawn Tennis Championship . Hacker is known for saying 'cockers' – a Northern term for 'mate'. Hacker, Barry Davies and Amberley Lobo provided CBBC commentary on
468-453: The clip had context before the exchange, Hacker's puppeteer Phil Fletcher later explained that there was none, and he had just ad-libbed the line to make Layfield laugh. Layfield began her radio career in July 2018, when she began covering weekend shows on Capital FM . She later presented Capital FM's Capital Early Breakfast show from 7 January 2019 until 29 September 2023. In November 2023, it
494-414: The personality of Hacker is based on himself and that "I just do what I find funny ... The bits that are always the funny bits are just made up – I'm always just trying to throw the presenter under the bus, really. I have no regard for the presenter, I just throw them under the bus because I think it'd make good telly". Fletcher claims that portraying Hacker is "the best job in the world". He received
520-433: The presenting team on CBBC, while Hacker went off to film the second series of Scoop . In 2011, Hacker was given a solo presenting role on a separate chat show titled Hacker Time , where he interviews television personalities and other CBBC stars. The series lasted five seasons from 2011–2016. In 2013, following Ian Stirling's departure from CBBC, he and Dodge began presenting with Chris Johnson . The character took
546-509: The puppetry and voice now being performed by Phil Fletcher. Hacker from that point gained a much more noticeable characteristic, having a much more comedic and sarcastic personality and he now spoke in full words. These characteristics were added to the character within the second and third seasons of Scoop as well. In July, he began presenting on weekdays with Scottish comedian Iain Stirling . In 2010, Hacker's "half-brother" Dodge T Dog joined
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#1733085626639572-429: Was afterwards contacted by the BBC to audition for the role of Hacker T. Dog , an anthropomorphic Border Terrier dog puppet. Hacker had appeared in the television series Scoop from 2009 but was being brought in as a presenter sidekick and continuity announcer on the CBBC Channel for the following year. Fletcher initially declined to audition, stating he was too busy and the contract was short term (four months), but
598-593: Was announced that Layfield would be joining BBC Radio 1 in January 2024, presenting the Friday morning Early Breakfast show throughout the month. In March 2024, it was announced that Layfield would join Radio 1 on a permanent basis from 7 April 2024, co-presenting the station's Life Hacks programme alongside Newsround's Shanequa Paris. As an author, Layfield has written for the Top of
624-521: Was given a replica puppet of Emu at the age of four and used it, and puppets made from card and paper, to make performances. His first public show was a performance of Aesop's " The Tortoise and the Hare " at his local church. Fletcher attended All Saints Primary School and Mornington High School in Wigan. Whilst at school he was paid to perform at children's parties and founded his puppeteering company, Gluvets, in
650-550: Was gonna say, nor did I, really. It just threw her over the edge, because what does that even mean? Why would you say that on kids telly?". The scene was unscripted. Although rumours arose claiming it was inspired by an interaction between Fletcher and the police after being arrested in Leeds he says it was not and was "just nonsense". Fletcher's Gluvets company has made puppets for the Sooty TV series and replicas of famous puppets such as
676-445: Was persuaded to reconsider and was awarded the role. Fletcher has appeared as Hacker since then. On Scoop Hacker had only growled and barked but he gained a voice under Fletcher, who gradually introduced more dialogue to the act. Hacker first appeared alongside CBBC presenter Iain Stirling , with Fletcher hidden on screen by a trolley, desk or couch. The performances were well received, with Stirling and Fletcher being nominated for
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