{"id":1923,"date":"2025-06-03T13:17:49","date_gmt":"2025-06-03T12:17:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/jusmedia.co.uk\/studioinsider\/?p=1923"},"modified":"2025-06-06T14:57:13","modified_gmt":"2025-06-06T13:57:13","slug":"hacker-the-dog-meet-the-man-behind-the-puppet","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/jusmedia.co.uk\/studioinsider\/2025\/06\/03\/hacker-the-dog-meet-the-man-behind-the-puppet\/","title":{"rendered":"Hacker the Dog: Meet the man behind the puppet\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Phil Fletcher alongside CBBC star Hacker T.Dog. (Credit- Phil Fletcher) <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

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 \u2018normal men\u2019 video<\/em>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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 \u2018Scoop\u2019. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cMe and Ian Stirling started together, but we both auditioned separately. We didn\u2019t meet each other before we went into that studio. We got on like a house on fire straight away.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Originally Hacker and Ian were meant to just be covering Ed and Oucho for 4 months whilst they were off shooting another show.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt\u2019s never stopped! <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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“Hacker is the longest running CBBC presenter of all time, certainly the longest running puppet that\u2019s been on one channel consecutively.\u201d <\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

The team behind the camera<\/strong><\/h1>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYou\u2019re reliant on the people in your ear telling you when it\u2019s going to end, or what\u2019s coming up next, or if there\u2019s a technical problem.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThey make it happen. You only realise you need them when you\u2019ve not got them because then what do you do? When is the link ending? Is there a VT running? I\u2019ve no clue, but that\u2019s the fun of it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And it was a moment when technology failed that brought the most attention to Hacker, the \u2018we\u2019re just innocent men\u2019 scene, as Phil explains. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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