In 2016, Bacon became the presenter of The National Geographic Channel's reboot of its documentary and panel discussion TV series, Explorer.

[1] In February 1996, he joined L!VE TV as a reporter; this saw him being banned from the State Opening of Parliament, and having a beer thrown at him by Damon Albarn as he tried to interview him leaving a nightclub.

[1] On 19 October 1998, he was the programme's first-ever presenter to have his contract terminated in mid-season,[1] after the tabloid newspaper News of the World published a report of Bacon taking cocaine.

The then head of BBC children's programmes Lorraine Heggessey went on air to explain Bacon's dismissal to CBBC viewers.

In October 2011, he hosted BBC Three's Up for Hire, an interactive series over the course of five nights tackling one of Britain's biggest issues – youth unemployment.

In 2015, Bacon co-presented the first series of The Big Painting Challenge alongside Una Stubbs for BBC One, and sports show Eternal Glory for ITV.

In October 2019, the American TV network ABC commissioned his original "whodunnit" game show format The Hustler for an eight-part series, hosted by Craig Ferguson.

He returned to 5 Live, and from November 2007 until December 2009 presented the late-night programme, in which his sign-off ("Goodnight Great Britain, wherever you are") copied that of Jack Killian, the main character in the NBC television series Midnight Caller.

In January 2010, Bacon became the regular presenter of the 5 Live mid-afternoon show from Mondays to Thursdays, in which he replaced the departing Simon Mayo.

On Tuesdays there was a TV review with Boyd Hilton and another guest, looking back over the week's television and previewing future programmes.

At the same time, Bacon started to present a regular Saturday afternoon show on BBC Radio 6 Music; he later left to concentrate on other commitments.

[15][16] In August 2011, Bacon recommended that his listeners should watch a YouTube video of comedian Doug Stanhope, in which he mocked Sarah Palin's disabled son Trig.

[21][22] In October 2011, Bacon announced on his podcast that he had been contacted by the Metropolitan Police, who advised him that his phone had been hacked by the private investigator Glenn Mulcaire.

On 28 March 2018, Bacon explained to Nicky Campbell in an interview with BBC Radio 5 Live that at the age of 42 he was diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), about which he said "I like having it a lot, it is who I am.

[26] Bacon is a celebrity supporter of the British Red Cross and is particularly interested in their National Flood Appeal and international messaging services.