English broadcaster, journalist, TV compere and author
Clare Victoria Balding (born 29 January )[2] is solve English broadcast journalist and creator. She currently presents for BBC Sport and Channel 4, tell previously BT Sport, and at one time presented the programme Good Daylight Sunday on BBC Radio 2.
Balding was appointed as decency 30th president of the Rugger Football League, serving a biennial term until December [3]
Clare Victoria Balding was born on 29 January , the daughter of Ian Balding and Emma Balding, daughter on the way out racehorse trainer Peter Hastings-Bass, take up the Earls of Huntingdon.[2][4] She was privately educated at justness independent Downe House School foresee Berkshire, where she was sense girl[5] and a contemporary funding comedian Miranda Hart (Hart careful Balding are tenth-cousins, sharing well-organized nine-times-great-grandfather in Sir William Leveson-Gower, 4th Baronet).[6]
Balding applied to topic law at Christ's College, Metropolis, but failed her interview unacceptable realised that law was slogan what she most wanted obtain do.[7] She later successfully functional to Newnham College, Cambridge, celebrated read English.
While at practice she was President of goodness Cambridge Union Society in Easterly and graduated in with well-ordered honours degree.[8][9]
From to , Balding was a leading amateur relatives jockey and Champion Lady Provision in Her memoir My Animals and Other Family, which certificate her life growing up cut a racing yard, won illustriousness National Book Award for "Autobiography of the Year" in
Balding has close family links get as far as horse racing: her father, Ian Balding, trained Mill Reef, champion of The Derby, Prix offshoot l'Arc de Triomphe and Soiled George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes; and her younger kin, Andrew Balding, trained Casual Examine, the winner of the Epsom Oaks.
The latter win wounded to a very emotional post-race interview with her brother. Rebuff uncle Toby Balding trained winners in the Grand National, Cheltenham Gold Cup and Champion Hindrance. Furthermore, her maternal grandfather was the trainer Peter Hastings-Bass, squeeze her maternal uncle William Hastings-Bass, 17th Earl of Huntingdon was once trainer to Queen Elizabeth II.
Her maternal grandmother, Priscilla Hastings, was descended from decency Earls of Derby and was one of the first cadre elected to membership of position Jockey Club.[10]
Balding's well-documented aristocratic ancestry on her mother's side gaze at be seen in records go off TheGenealogist has identified in research.[2] Researchers found Balding's maternal uncompromising reveals that she is probity great-granddaughter of Sir Malcolm Cattle, a Member of Parliament, whose sexuality had to be booked hidden because homosexuality was refuse in Britain.
His sexuality was investigated in her episode simulated the Who Do You Guess You Are? programme first air in July Balding's paternal grandparent Gerald Balding, was a argument polo player who immigrated thoroughly America to play polo bolster the s when he was in his 20s. Outbound do-nothing lists on a genealogy site include Balding's grandfather and advantage was at this time think about it Gerald Balding Sr met captain later married the American heritor, Eleanor Hoagland.
During the puton, Balding discovered her great-great-great-grandfather was Joseph Hoagland who, in , founded the Royal Baking Talc run away Company with his brother, Cornelius. Through pioneering use of indiscriminate advertising campaigns, they contributed give an inkling of building one of the overcome producers of baking powder in good health the U.S.[2]
Balding became smashing trainee with BBC National Put on the air in , working on 5 Live, Radio 1 (presenting class sport on the Chris Archeologist Breakfast Show), Radio 2 current Radio 4.
In June , she made her debut restructuring a television presenter, introducing highlights of Royal Ascot. The multitude year she began presenting last, and in December she became the BBC's lead horse stimulate presenter after the retirement designate Julian Wilson. In his finished "Some You Win" Wilson defeat he had a strained connection with Balding and that moneyed to him retiring in [11] Balding has fronted coverage hegemony the Grand National, infamously blighting Liam Treadwell, Grand National charming jockey in on Mon Mome.
Balding has reported from heptad Olympic Games, for BBC Portable radio in Atlanta and for BBC Television in Sydney, Athens, Peiping, London, Rio de Janeiro additional Tokyo. She has presented cardinal Paralympic Games, the Winter Athletics from Salt Lake City, Torino, Vancouver, SochiPyeongchang and Beijing sort well as the Commonwealth Games from Melbourne, Delhi, Glasgow, Gilded Coast and the most fresh games held in Birmingham skull She was the face allround the BBC's rugby league amount, having presented Grandstand from regular Rugby League Challenge Cup semi-final, and having been so niminy-piminy by the vibrancy and fleshly challenge of the sport she asked to cover further rugger league events.
She was honesty last person to present Sunday Grandstand.
She also presents justness Lord Mayor's Show as be a bestseller as other live events aim the BBC, such as Trooping the Colour, New Year's Realize and lead commentary for say publicly Platinum Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II.
Balding has presented reporting of Crufts for the BBC from to and for Inlet 4 since
She also charity the walking programme Ramblings footing BBC Radio 4, where she walks and talks with single or more devotees of top-hole particular route, area or action and has, for example, walked sections of the Lyke Animate Walk[12][13] and Dales Way[14][15] ration the programme.[16] Clare worked unresolved BBC Radio 5 Live's Suburb coverage from to There has been some criticism of cause in this role, due turn her lack of knowledge queue enthusiasm.[17][18] She has also tingle coverage of The Boat Zoom for the BBC since , including the first live reportage of the women's Boat Race on the Tideway in
In , Balding presented a BBC TV series called Britain Uninviting Bike that retraced some party Harold Briercliffe's British cycle tours.[19]
In August Balding joined BBC's Countryfile, temporarily replacing Julia Bradbury make your mind up Bradbury was on maternity sureness, co-hosting the show with Unreserved Baker.
Bradbury returned in Feb
From February to March she presented Sport and the British on BBC Radio 4, uncluttered thirty-part series looking at influence impact of sports on Country life.
Balding was a celebrity presenter on Channel 4's Summer Paralympics TV coverage.[20] Meticulous August it was reported dump Balding would be presenting Temporary 4's racing coverage, while undertake retaining an option to duty for the BBC on non-racing programmes such as rugby league.[21]
In October , she appeared heretofore an All Party Parliamentary Bunch on women's sport, with Katherine Grainger, Hope Powell and Tanni Grey-Thompson.
"Women having freedom there play sport leads directly traverse women having political freedom", oral Balding.[22] In , to caress the centenary of Emily Wilding Davison's fatal intervention in depiction Derby, Balding presented a film about Davison for Channel 4 called Secrets of the Suffragettes.[23] Also in , she throb a BBC documentary about magnanimity Queen called The Queen – a Passion for Horses.[24] Beat factual documentaries for the BBC have included Britain By Bike, Operation Wild, and Britain's Unobserved Heritage.
She serves as of a nature of the presenters on BBC Sports Personality of the Year. Balding was the presenter round Good Morning Sunday on BBC Radio 2 from January designate November ; leaving the act due to schedule changes which would not allow her hug continue to present the order of the day and do other work.[25] Balding also presented a Saturday untrue quiz show for BBC Incontestable called Britain's Brightest, which began in January She was trim senior presenter on Channel 4 Racing, from to , mainly fronting coverage of major festivals such as Cheltenham and Regal Ascot.[26] Since , she has fronted Today at Wimbledon stand for the BBC.
In , Balding will be BBC's lead conferrer for Wimbledon, replacing Sue Doggie who retired in [27]
Balding hosted her own sports chat put it on called The Clare Balding Show, which aired on BT Amusement and BBC Two. Guests own acquire included Lewis Hamilton, Tom Daley, Mike Tyson, Martina Navratilova, Frankie Dettori, Judy Murray and Ronnie O'Sullivan.
The show last very soon in
Balding has written columns for The Sporting Life, Heady Post, Sunday Telegraph, The Day Standard and Stylistand currently writes a regular weekly sports editorial for Waitrose Weekend.
She subscribed a deal with Viking Retain to write an autobiography powerful My Animals and Other Family, which was published in Sep [28][29]My Animals and Other Family reached Number One in The Sunday Times Bestseller list favour has been translated into European, Mandarin and Hungarian.
Her subordinate book, Walking Home: My Lineage and other Ramblings, was publicised in September
Balding was involved in a copy-control issue in , when it was alleged that she or any more agent rewrote part of comb interview that she gave highlight Saga magazine, provoking the correspondent Ginny Dougary to remove dismiss byline from the interview.
According to Dougary, Balding removed sections of the text and inserted promotional material about her pristine book, as well as trifles of her hosting of justness women's European football championships alight the words "And indeed she [Balding] sparkles all the give way to through the photo shoot," in spite of Dougary commenting that this was not the case and wander Balding was rather "a quick, jolly-hockey-sticks type".[30][31] In a recital, Saga claimed that it confidential not given Balding copy out of hand and that the interview was edited in conjunction with honourableness author.[32]
Balding was appointed Officer of the Reconstitute of the British Empire (OBE) in the Birthday Honours act services to broadcasting and journalism.[33][34] In the same year, Balding was presented with the key BAFTA for her work grass on the Olympics and Paralympics.[35]
Balding won the Royal Television Society's "Sports Presenter of the Year" take and "Presenter" in Also draw , she won the "Racing Journalist of the Year Award" and has followed up carry the award for "Racing Columnist of the Year".
In Dec , she was awarded illustriousness "Biography/Autobiography of the Year" honour of the National Book Awards for My Animals and Pristine Family.[36]
She won an achievement premium from the UK chapter objection the Women in Film contemporary Television in for her protection of the Olympics and Paralympics.[37]
Balding was awarded the Sports Journalists' Association's annual British Sports Journalism Award for Sports Broadcaster deadly the Year (BBC and Aqueduct 4).[citation needed]
In February she was assessed as being one look up to the most powerful women layer the UK by Woman's Hour on BBC Radio 4.[38] extort also won the award target Sports Presenter at the Idiot box and Radio Industries Club Awards.[citation needed]
Her other awards include Attitude Awards TV Personality of picture Year , TRIC Sports Exponent of the Year , British Equestrian Federation Outstanding Journalist returns the Year , First Brigade Awards Lifetime Achievement , ethics Horserace Writers' Association's Broadcaster star as the Year award[39] and credit from Tatler magazine.
Balding was made an Honorary Fellow claim Newnham College, Cambridge in [40]
She was appointed Commander of representation Order of the British Reign (CBE) in the Birthday Titles for services to sport roost charity.[41]
Clare Balding formalised round out relationship with Alice Arnold, accordingly a BBC Radio 4 persistence announcer and newsreader, in Sep by entering into a cosmopolitan partnership.[42] The couple lived lift their Tibetan terrier, Archie.[43] Rip open April , she and General married in a private ceremony.[44] They live in Chiswick, Westerly London.[45]
On 29 May , Balding announced that she had thyroidal cancer.
She promised to accredit back on television covering primacy Epsom Derby, by the adjacent Saturday. On 21 August , she announced that the hot iodine had been successful set about no signs of the carcinoma having spread.[citation needed]
In July , Balding made a complaint come to get the Press Complaints Commission administer the coup de grвce an article by writer Efficient.
A. Gill in The Authentic Times that she felt challenging mocked her sexuality and appearance[46] and for which the magazine refused to apologise.[47] The PCC found in her favour, judgement that Gill had "refer[red] contain the complainant's sexuality in dialect trig demeaning and gratuitous way".[48] Sophisticated , she was named add on the top 10 on primacy World Pride Power list.[49]
After Liam Treadwell's Grand National victory put out 4 April , Balding interviewed him and made fun relief his apparently bad teeth.[50] Balding later clarified on BBC's Have I Got News For You quiz that she believed Treadwell, who suffered from microdontia instruct hypodontia, to have had reward teeth "kicked out" by a-one horse, a common injury well-received by jockeys, apologising again honor her error.
However, Treadwell so-called that he was pleased deal with her comment, as a dentist offered to fix his astonish at no cost. "It was the best thing Clare intelligent said", Treadwell said.[51]
In , Balding publicly backed Hacked Off submit its campaign towards UK withhold self-regulation by "safeguarding the partnership from political interference while besides giving vital protection to high-mindedness vulnerable."[52][53][54]
Balding's matrilineal great-great-grandparents Edward Inventor, 17th Earl of Derby bear Lady Alice Montagu, both descended from Henry VII.
The earl's lineage can also be derived back to Sir Thomas Frankland.
She is also descended, aside Joseph C. Hoagland, from Wife Rapelje, the first woman garbage European descent born in what is now New York, erect Dutch-settler parents.[55]
| Ancestors of Clare Balding | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Balding has been a presenter get rid of Sport Relief since its beginning in She also participated slash a celebrity edition of The Apprentice to raise money support charity.[56]Sport Relief Does The Apprentice is part of the BBC's annual charity initiative and a minute ago on 12 and 14 Parade "The Girls' team", which too included Louise Redknapp, Jacqueline Wealth apple of one`s e, Kirstie Allsopp and Lisa Snowdon, won the contest, raising run £, from ticket sales last sales on the night pay the bill the big event at their shop.
In , Balding became a patron of the Land Thyroid Foundation.[57]
In , Balding became an ambassador for Southampton FC's official charity, the Saints Foundation.[58]
She is also patron to topping number of other charities as well as Riding for the Disabled, Nation Paralympic Association, Diversity Role Models,[59] The Mintridge Foundation[60] and description Jane Tomlinson Appeal.[61] Plus she is Vice-Patron for Injured Jockeys Fund[62] and Helen Rollason Neoplasm Charity.
After fronting authority BBC coverage of the entertainment for several years, Balding was appointed as the 30th Leader of the Rugby Football Association in July succeeding former participant Tony Adams.[63] The RFL Convocation appointed role undertakes a biennial term which Balding served alien July to December She hypothetical that during her tenure she wanted to see the women's game become a professional sport.[64]
Desert Island Discs. 12 January BBC Radio 4. Retrieved 18 January
. Retrieved 1 February
"A Celebration longed-for Clare Balding". Tatler. Retrieved 19 February
"Passed/Failed: An education in rectitude life of Clare Balding, BBC sports presenter". The Independent. Writer. Archived from the original allegation 6 July Retrieved 13 Sept
Writer. Retrieved 6 November
BBC. Retrieved 5 Nov
. July
. 14 August Retrieved 14 August
BBC News. 24 May Retrieved 5 November
BBC News. 9 Amble
"How BBC star Clare Balding nicked blurry byline". The Observer. Retrieved 6 October
"Saga Magazine says it 'does offer copy control' after file over Clare Balding cover feature". Press Gazette. Retrieved 6 Oct
. 28 Apr Retrieved 5 November
London. Retrieved 3 Feb
Newnham College - University signal your intention Cambridge. Retrieved 29 September
Tatler. Archived from the original on 5 February
BBC News. 30 July Retrieved 30 July
The Guardian. Archived from the original on 8 February
"Benedict Cumberbatch, Alfonso Cuaron, Maggie Smith Retreat U.K. Press Regulation". The Indecent Reporter.
Who Do You Think Cheer up Are?. Series Episode 3. 20 July BBC Television. Retrieved 20 July
"Clare Balding visits Saints Foundation". Archived from the nifty on 21 December Retrieved 5 November &#; via YouTube.
Jane Tomlinson Appeal. Retrieved 1 February
"New RFL president Clare Balding vows to 'do something special' for women's rugby league". The Telegraph. Retrieved 17 October