Hacker T.Dog is a well-known face on CBBC, having been on the channel for more than 16 years. Phil Fletcher is the man in charge of the well-loved canine and speaks to Studio Insider about working on kids TV, the team helping behind the scenes and that ‘normal men’ video.
Back in 2011 when YouTube had only just started, Phil Fletcher was doing puppet videos. The BBC had spotted them and rang Phil up to ask him to audition for Hacker, who existed before from the show ‘Scoop’.
He got the job and his first Hacker links aired on 24th May 2009. 16 years later, Hacker is still ever-present on our screens.
“Me and Ian Stirling started together, but we both auditioned separately. We didn’t meet each other before we went into that studio. We got on like a house on fire straight away.”
Originally Hacker and Ian were meant to just be covering Ed and Oucho for 4 months whilst they were off shooting another show.
“It’s never stopped!
“Hacker is the longest running CBBC presenter of all time, certainly the longest running puppet that’s been on one channel consecutively.”
The team behind the camera
“You’re reliant on the people in your ear telling you when it’s going to end, or what’s coming up next, or if there’s a technical problem.
“They make it happen. You only realise you need them when you’ve not got them because then what do you do? When is the link ending? Is there a VT running? I’ve no clue, but that’s the fun of it.”
And it was a moment when technology failed that brought the most attention to Hacker, the ‘we’re just innocent men’ scene, as Phil explains.
“I just made it up! Lauren and Hacker were looking at each other nose to nose because at the end of the show that had just been on they were doing that. So we cut back to us doing the same thing.
“She started laughing because there was no context to it. We didn’t rehearse it and I completely ad-libbed it just to throw her under the bus and then she started laughing.
“When she laughs, I laugh. Even some of the gallery were laughing but some of the gallery were telling us to get on with it.”
“We’re weeping with laughter and it’s just chaos, everyone’s shouting at you, then the next minute it goes viral and two billion people have seen that clip.
“It’s got its own Twitter! It gets millions of views a week!”
The importance of social media
Phil has a large presence on social media, with 115K followers on Instagram, showing what it’s like behind the camera and also answering questions about his job on TV.
“I’m a bit old to be on TikTok, but it’s a valuable tool.
I’m a bit perplexed when people in my business aren’t on social media because you’ve got to keep your fingers on the pulse of what’s happening.
“Hacker’s been on television for 16 years and to keep him relevant you’ve got to see what people are doing, or to see what people are interested in. It doesn’t cost you anything to be on it.
“My most viewed video on TikTok has had 35 million views, just a little behind the scenes of Hacker. It’s encouraging people to get into the business.”
The art of puppeteering
“I don’t mind revealing those secrets because puppetry potentially could die off and you don’t want that.
“There’s a lot of secrecy in the puppetry world. And I think, ‘shut up! It’s only a puppet’. I’m not doing anything magical and I don’t have access to materials that other people don’t have access to.
Phil goes live on Instagram every week and will answer viewers questions, plus show a wide range of puppets and delve into puppetering in more detail.
“I’m very keen to encourage people to do it. I like showing the behind the scenes stuff. I’m always keen to help people because if they don’t it will end (puppeteering) and that’s not ideal.”
The impact on childhoods
Across the 16 years Hacker has been on screens, he has entertained millions of children in their living rooms on their tv screens.
“When you’re doing it you don’t realise (the impact) because there’s no audience in the room. You don’t realise how much impact you’ve had on people’s lives until you’re literally meeting people at the comic cons or student union gigs.
“You do a student union gig with 3,000 people in the room saying they’ve watched you since they were a kid or quoting things back to you and I think I don’t remember this! But I did it once 12 years ago and then you realise the impact you’ve had.”
Phil chats about the messages he gets, stating one message he received saying that Hacker helped them through a period of depression. Watching Hacker videos on YouTube brought a smile to them during a rough time, something that gives Phil satisfaction.
“It’s quite a responsibility, but not one you take on willingly and it’s not one you’re conscious of at the time because the pressure gets too much for you.”
“It’s a nonsense job! We all know it’s no Shakespeare. I’m lying on the floor talking about Sue Barker while pretending to be a dog. It’s weird!”
Advice to pass on
“If you’re good enough, you will find work. Just practice, be good at it, film yourself and then post it on social media.
“It’s the best way to do it, so if you’re not on Instagram or TikTok, get on it and post content.”
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