Clare Balding

Clare Victoria Balding was born on 29 January 1971, the daughter of Ian Balding and Emma Balding, daughter of racehorse trainer Peter Hastings-Bass, of the Earls of Huntingdon.Burke's Peerage, Baronetage and Knightage, 107th ed., vol. 2, ed. Charles Mosley, Burke's Peerage Ltd, 2003, p. 2006 She was privately educated at the independent Downe House School near Thatcham, Berkshire, where she was head girl{{cite web |last=Machell |first=Ben |date=24 September 2016 |title=Revealing the Unbridled Talents of Clare Balding |url=https://www.thetimes.com/culture/books/article/clare-balding-an-enthusiast-in-a-league-of-her-own-w30g0bj5h |website=The Times |url-access=subscription |access-date=18 September 2022}} and a contemporary of comedian Miranda Hart (Hart and Balding are tenth-cousins, sharing a nine-times-great-grandfather in Sir William Leveson-Gower, 4th Baronet).{{cite web |last=Bennett |first=Clare |date=5 July 2017 |title=A Celebration of Clare Balding |url=https://www.tatler.com/article/clare-balding-facts |website=Tatler |access-date=19 February 2022}}

Balding applied to read law at Christ's College, Cambridge, but failed her interview and realised that law was not what she most wanted to do.{{Cite web|url=http://www.alumni.cam.ac.uk/uploads/File/CAMArticles/CAM%2052/My%20Time%20at%20Cambridge.pdf|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120119072305/http://www.alumni.cam.ac.uk/uploads/File/CAMArticles/CAM%2052/My%20Time%20at%20Cambridge.pdf|url-status=dead|title=My Time At Cambridge|archive-date=19 January 2012}} She later successfully applied to Newnham College, Cambridge, and read English. While at university she was President of the Cambridge Union Society in Easter 1992 and graduated in 1993 with a 2:1 honours degree.{{cite web |date=2015 |title=Welcome Back to Cambridge [Cambridge Union Bicentenary Booklet] |url=https://issuu.com/thecambridgeunion/docs/150128_bicentenary_booklet_v5-1xx_l |location=Cambridge |publisher=Cambridge Union Society |page=63 |access-date=13 September 2022 |via=Issuu}}{{cite web |last=Sale |first=Jonathan |date=1 July 2010 |title=Passed/Failed: An education in the life of Clare Balding, BBC sports presenter |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/profiles/passed-failed-an-education-in-the-life-of-clare-balding-bbc-sports-presenter-2014814.html |location=London |website=The Independent |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220706125655/https://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/profiles/passed-failed-an-education-in-the-life-of-clare-balding-bbc-sports-presenter-2014814.html |archive-date=6 July 2022 |access-date=13 September 2022}}

From 1988 to 1993, Balding was a leading amateur flat jockey and Champion Lady Rider in 1990. Her memoir My Animals and Other Family, which documents her life growing up in a racing yard, won the National Book Award for "Autobiography of the Year" in 2012.

Balding has close family links to horse racing: her father, Ian Balding, trained Mill Reef, 1971 winner of The Derby, Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe and King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes; and her younger brother, Andrew Balding, trained Casual Look, the winner of the 2003 Epsom Oaks. The latter win led to a very emotional post-race interview with her brother. Her uncle Toby Balding trained winners in the Grand National, Cheltenham Gold Cup and Champion Hurdle. Furthermore, her maternal grandfather was the trainer Peter Hastings-Bass, and 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 the Earls of Derby and was one of the first women elected to membership of the Jockey Club.{{cite news|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/obituaries/priscilla-hastings-racing-trainer-who-bridged-the-gender-gap-in-her-sport-2070137.html|title=Priscilla Hastings: Racing trainer who bridged the gender gap in her sport|access-date=6 November 2012 | location=London|work=The Independent|first=Sue|last=Montgomery|date=4 September 2010}}

Balding's well-documented aristocratic lineage on her mother's side can be seen in records that TheGenealogist has identified in research.{{cite web|title=Clare Balding - Who Do You Think You Are? Aristocratic stock and a penniless polo player... |url=https://www.thegenealogist.co.uk/featuredarticles/2017/who-do-you-think-you-are/clare-balding-556/|website=TheGenealogist |date=18 July 2017}} Researchers found Balding's maternal line reveals that she is the great-granddaughter of Sir Malcolm Bullock, a Member of Parliament, whose sexuality had to be kept hidden because homosexuality was illegal in Britain. His sexuality was investigated in her episode of the Who Do You Think You Are? programme first broadcast in July 2017. Balding's paternal grandfather Gerald Balding, was a 10-goal polo player who immigrated to America to play polo in the 1920s when he was in his 20s. Outbound passenger lists on a genealogy website include Balding's grandfather and it was at this time that Gerald Balding Sr met and later married the American heiress, Eleanor Hoagland. During the show, Balding discovered her great-great-great-grandfather was Joseph Hoagland who, in 1866, founded the Royal Baking Powder Company with his brother, Cornelius. Through pioneering use of mass advertising campaigns, they contributed to building one of the largest producers of baking powder in the U.S.

File:Clarebalding.jpg

Balding became a trainee with BBC National Radio in 1994, working on 5 Live, Radio 1 (presenting the sport on the Chris Evans Breakfast Show), Radio 2 and Radio 4. In June 1995, she made her debut as a television presenter, introducing highlights of Royal Ascot. The following year she began presenting live, and in December 1997 she became the BBC's lead horse racing presenter after the retirement of Julian Wilson. In his autobiography Some You Win, published in 1998, Wilson revealed he had a strained relationship with Balding which led to him retiring in 1997.{{cite web|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/racing-osullevan-and-wilson-in-rift-1200088.html |title=Racing: O'Sullevan and Wilson in rift|work=The Independent |date=1998-09-23 |accessdate=2014-04-21}} Balding has fronted coverage of the Grand National.

Balding has reported from eight Olympic Games, starting for BBC Radio in Atlanta and for BBC Television in Sydney. For the Athens 2004 Games, Balding presented nightly highlights with Craig Doyle{{Cite web |title=BBC - Press Office - The Olympics and Paralympics 2004 |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/pressoffice/pressreleases/stories/2004/07_july/06/olympics.shtml |access-date=2025-05-01 |website=www.bbc.co.uk}} For the Beijing 2008 Games, Balding fronted coverage throughout the night of the early action from China.{{Cite web |title=BBC - Press Office - 2008 Olympics press pack: Olympics coverage on BBC TV |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/pressoffice/pressreleases/stories/2008/06_june/19/olympics3.shtml |access-date=2025-05-01 |website=www.bbc.co.uk}} At the London 2012 Games, Balding anchored afternoon coverage, as well as being live from the diving, equestrian and swimming events.{{Cite web |title=BBC London 2012 presenter line-up |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/mediacentre/latestnews/021211-bbc-2012-presenter-line-up |access-date=2025-05-01 |website=www.bbc.co.uk |language=en}} For the Rio 2016 Games, Balding presented the evening action with Mark Chapman, as well as being live from the velodrome.{{Cite web |title=Rio 2016 on the BBC - TV |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/mediacentre/mediapacks/rio/tv/ |access-date=2025-05-01 |website=www.bbc.co.uk |language=en}} For the delayed Tokyo 2020 Games, Balding hosted the BBC's coverage of the Opening and Closing ceremonies, as well as a nightly highlights show with Alex Scott.{{Cite web |title=Tokyo 2020 on the BBC |url=https://www.bbc.com/mediacentre/mediapacks/tokyo-2020/ |access-date=2025-05-01 |website=www.bbc.com |language=en}} Balding again hosted coverage of the ceremonies for the Paris 2024 Games, as well as presenting the evening action from the studio and the swimming pool.{{Cite web |title=Fall in love with the Paris 2024 Olympic Games on the BBC |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/mediacentre/mediapacks/olympic-games-paris-2024-on-the-bbc |access-date=2025-05-01 |website=www.bbc.co.uk |language=en}}

Balding has also presented from five Winter Olympic Games for the BBC. Balding was one of the lead presenters for the 2002 Salt Lake City Games.{{Cite web |title=Winter Olympics 2002 |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/winterolympics2002/low/english/bbc_coverage/newsid_1753000/1753474.stm |access-date=2025-05-01 |website=news.bbc.co.uk}} This was a position she took up again for the Turin 2006 Games.{{Cite web |title=BBC - Press Office - Winter Olympics 2006 press pack |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/pressoffice/pressreleases/stories/2006/01_january/10/olympics.shtml |access-date=2025-05-01 |website=www.bbc.co.uk}} For the Vancouver 2010 Games, Balding anchored evening coverage of the events.{{Cite web |title=BBC - Press Office - Network TV Programme Information BBC Week 7 Winter Olympics 2010 |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/pressoffice/proginfo/tv/2010/wk7/olympics.shtml |access-date=2025-05-01 |website=www.bbc.co.uk |language=en-GB}} In Sochi in 2014, Balding was a lead presenter of the Games.{{Cite web |title=Sochi 2014 Winter Olympic Games on the BBC |url=https://www.bbc.com/mediacentre/latestnews/2013/winter_olympics_2014 |access-date=2025-05-01 |website=www.bbc.com |language=en}} For the Pyeongchang 2018 Games, Balding was again a lead presenter.{{Cite web |title=Pyeongchang 2018 Olympic Winter Games on the BBC |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/mediacentre/mediapacks/pyeongchang |access-date=2025-05-01 |website=www.bbc.co.uk |language=en}} For the Beijing 2022 Games, Balding fronted a nightly highlights show of the day's events.{{Cite web |title=Beijing 2022 Winter Olympic Games on the BBC |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/mediacentre/mediapacks/beijing-2022-winter-olympic-games |access-date=2025-05-01 |website=www.bbc.co.uk |language=en}}

Balding has presented from five Commonwealth Games. At the Melbourne 2006 Games, Balding was one of the BBC's main presenters at the games.{{Cite news |date=2006-03-01 |title=Melbourne coverage |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/commonwealth_games/4719492.stm |access-date=2025-05-01 |language=en-GB}} At the Delhi 2010 Games, Balding took up the same position.{{Cite web |title=BBC - Press Office - Delhi 2010 Commonwealth Games on the BBC |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/pressoffice/pressreleases/stories/2010/09_september/17/commonwealth.shtml |access-date=2025-05-01 |website=www.bbc.co.uk}} At the Glasgow 2014 Games, Balding presented from various events across the city, as well as co-hosting a nightly highlights show with Mark Chapman.{{Cite web |title=Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/mediacentre/mediapacks/cwg |access-date=2025-05-01 |website=www.bbc.co.uk |language=en}} At the Gold Coast 2018 Games, Balding anchored coverage live from Salford.{{Cite web |title=Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games on the BBC |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/mediacentre/mediapacks/commonwealth-games-2018 |access-date=2025-05-01 |website=www.bbc.co.uk |language=en}} For the Birmingham 2022 Games, Balding was the BBC's main presenter, anchoring the evening sessions of the games.{{Cite web |title=Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games on the BBC |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/mediacentre/mediapacks/birmingham-2022-commonwealth-games-on-the-bbc |access-date=2025-05-01 |website=www.bbc.co.uk |language=en}}

She has presented five Paralympic Games, as well as the Commonwealth Games from Melbourne, Delhi, Glasgow, Gold Coast and the most recent games held in Birmingham in 2022. She hosted the BBC's rugby league coverage, having presented Grandstand from a Rugby League Challenge Cup semi-final, and having been so impressed by the vibrancy and physical challenge of the sport she asked to cover further rugby league events. She was the last person to present Sunday Grandstand.{{cn|date=May 2025}}

She also presents the Lord Mayor's Show as well as other live events for the BBC, such as Trooping the Colour, New Year's Eve and lead commentary for the Platinum Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II. Balding has presented coverage of Crufts for the BBC from 2004 to 2009 and for Channel 4 since 2013.

She also presents the walking programme Ramblings for BBC Radio 4, where she walks and talks with one or more devotees of a particular route, area or activity and has, for example, walked sections of the Lyke Wake Walk{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b05wyq6b|title=Lyke Wake Walk, Series 30, Ramblings - BBC Radio 4|website=BBC|access-date=5 November 2017}}{{cite web|url=http://www.lykewake.org/|title=The New Lyke Wake Club|website=www.lykewake.org|access-date=5 November 2017}} and Dales Way{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b04gwlf8|title=The Dales Way, Part One, Series 28, Ramblings - BBC Radio 4|website=BBC|access-date=5 November 2017}}Penfold, P. (2014). Clare Balding's crowded hours. Dalesman Magazine – November 2014 edition. for the programme.{{cite news |first=Elisabeth |last=Mahoney |url=https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2012/sep/20/ramblings-clare-balding-radio-review|title=A week in radio: Ramblings with Clare Balding|work=guardian.co.uk|date=20 September 2012 |access-date=11 October 2012 |location=London}} Balding worked on BBC Radio 5 Live's Wimbledon coverage from 1995 to 2014. There has been some criticism of her in this role, with critics stating she lacks knowledge and enthusiasm.{{cite web|title=Wimbledon 2015: BBC highlights show Wimbledon 2Day with Clare Balding slammed by critics|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/tennis/wimbledon-2015-bbc-highlights-show-wimbledon-2day-clare-balding-slammed-critics-10356810.html|website=independent.co.uk|date=July 2015 }}{{cite news|title=Wimbledon: Balding backed by BBC despite Inverdale calls, 5 July 2017|url=https://www.thetimes.com/sport/tennis/article/wimbledon-balding-backed-by-bbc-despite-inverdale-calls-lq5ct25g8|website=The Times}} She has also presented coverage of The Boat Race for the BBC since 2010, including the first live coverage of the women's Boat Race on the Tideway in 2015.

In 2010, Balding presented a BBC TV series called Britain By Bike that retraced some of Harold Briercliffe's British cycle tours.[https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00tg2q0 Britain by Bike – The Cotswolds] BBC Four

In August 2011, Balding joined BBC's Countryfile, temporarily replacing Julia Bradbury while Bradbury was on maternity leave, co-hosting the show with Matt Baker. Bradbury returned in February 2012.{{cn|date=May 2025}}

From February to March 2012 Balding presented Sport and the British on BBC Radio 4, a thirty-part series looking at the impact of sports on British life.{{cn|date=May 2025}}

Balding was a lead presenter on Channel 4's 2012 Summer Paralympics TV coverage.{{cite web|url=http://paralympics.channel4.com/the-team/presenter=ClareBalding/|title=Clare Balding – Meet the Team – London 2012 Paralympics – Channel 4|work=Channel 4 Paralympics|access-date=24 April 2015}} In August 2012 it was reported that Balding would be presenting Channel 4's racing coverage, while still retaining an option to work for the BBC on non-racing programmes such as rugby league.{{cite news |url= https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-19256968 |title=Clare Balding to present Channel 4 racing coverage |work=BBC News |date=14 August 2012|access-date=14 August 2012}}

In October 2012, she appeared before an All Party Parliamentary Group on women's sport, with Katherine Grainger, Hope Powell and Tanni Grey-Thompson. "Women having freedom to play sport leads directly to women having political freedom", said Balding.{{cite news |first=Robin |last=Scott-Elliot |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/general/others/women-in-sport-why-unparalleled-success-of-2012-must-not-fade-into-history-8225304.html|title=Women in sport: Why unparalleled success of 2012 must not fade into history|newspaper=independent.co.uk |date=25 October 2012 |access-date=25 October 2012 |location=London}} In 2013, to mark the centenary of Emily Wilding Davison's fatal intervention in the 1913 Derby, Balding presented a documentary about Davison for Channel 4 called Secrets of the Suffragettes.{{cite web |url=http://www.channel4.com/programmes/clare-baldings-secrets-of-a-suffragette |title=Clare Balding's Secrets of a Suffragette - All 4 |access-date=2015-10-26 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151117192803/http://www.channel4.com/programmes/clare-baldings-secrets-of-a-suffragette |archive-date=17 November 2015 |df=dmy-all }} Also in 2013, she presented a BBC documentary about the Queen called The Queen – a Passion for Horses.{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/uk-22653537/the-queen-and-her-passion-for-horses|title=The Queen and her passion for horses|work=BBC News |date=24 May 2013|access-date=5 November 2017}} Other factual documentaries for the BBC have included Britain By Bike, Operation Wild, and Britain's Hidden Heritage.

File:Stockbridge Christmas Evening - Sue Robinson, Clare Balding and Anno Webley in Lane End Kitchenware (cropped) (cropped 2).jpg

She serves as one of the presenters on BBC Sports Personality of the Year. Balding was the presenter of Good Morning Sunday on BBC Radio 2 from January 2013 to November 2017; leaving the show due to schedule changes which would not allow her to continue to present the programme and do other work.{{Cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/mediacentre/latestnews/2017/clare-balding|title=BBC - Clare Balding to leave Good Morning Sunday - Media Centre|website=www.bbc.co.uk}} Balding also presented a Saturday night quiz show for BBC One called Britain's Brightest, which began in January 2013. She was a senior presenter on Channel 4 Racing, from 2013 to 2016, predominantly fronting coverage of major festivals such as Cheltenham and Royal Ascot.{{cite news|url= https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2013/mar/12/clare-balding-channel-4-cheltenham-festival|title= Clare Balding shines as new Channel 4 anchor at Cheltenham Festival|date=12 March 2013|work=Guardian UK|access-date=13 March 2013|location=London|first=Sean|last=Ingle}} Since 2015, she has fronted Today at Wimbledon for the BBC. Balding became the BBC's lead presenter for Wimbledon in 2023, replacing Sue Barker who retired in 2022.{{cite news |work=BBC News |title=Wimbledon 2023: Clare Balding to lead BBC coverage of this year's Championships |date=9 March 2023 |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/tennis/64902037 }}

Balding hosted her own sports chat show called The Clare Balding Show, which aired on BT Sport and BBC Two. Guests have included Lewis Hamilton, Tom Daley, Mike Tyson, Martina Navratilova, Frankie Dettori, Judy Murray and Ronnie O'Sullivan. The show last aired in 2016.

Balding has written columns for The Sporting Life, Racing Post, Sunday Telegraph, The Evening Standard and Stylist and currently writes a regular weekly sports column for Waitrose Weekend.

She signed a deal with Viking Press to write an autobiography entitled My Animals and Other Family, which was published in September 2012.{{cite web|url=http://booktrade.info/index.php/showarticle/34522|work=Book Trade Announcements|publisher=Booktrade.info|title=Clare Balding joins Viking with My Animals and Other Family|access-date=28 May 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130214081844/http://booktrade.info/index.php/showarticle/34522|archive-date=14 February 2013|url-status=dead}}{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/books/2012/sep/16/clare-balding-animals-family-review|title= My Animals and Other Family by Clare Balding – review|work = guardian.co.uk|date=16 September 2012 |access-date=11 October 2012|location=London|first=Alexander|last=Larman}} My Animals and Other Family reached Number One in The Sunday Times Bestseller list and has been translated into Italian, Mandarin and Hungarian. Her second book, Walking Home: My Family and other Ramblings, was published in September 2014.

Balding was involved in a copy-control controversy in 2017, when it was alleged that she or her agent rewrote part of an interview that she gave to Saga magazine, provoking the journalist Ginny Dougary to remove her byline from the interview. According to Dougary, Balding removed sections of the text and inserted promotional material about her new book, as well as details of her hosting of the women's European football championships and the words "And indeed she [Balding] sparkles all the way through the photo shoot," despite Dougary commenting that this was not the case and that Balding was rather "a brisk, jolly-hockey-sticks type".{{cite news|last1=Dougary|first1=Ginny|title=How BBC star Clare Balding nicked my byline|url=https://www.theguardian.com/media/2017/sep/30/celebrity-interview-bullying-behaviour-balding-saga|access-date=6 October 2017|work=The Observer|date=1 October 2017}}{{cite news|last1=Smith|first1=Robert|title=Should PRs ever ask for copy approval? Debate rumbles over Clare Balding case|url=https://www.prweek.com/article/1446135/prs-ever-ask-copy-approval-debate-rumbles-clare-balding-case|access-date=6 October 2017|work=PR Week|date=2 October 2017}} In a statement, Saga claimed that it had not given Balding copy control and that the interview was edited in conjunction with the author.{{cite news|last1=Mayhew|first1=Freddie|title=Saga Magazine says it 'does not offer copy control' after row over Clare Balding cover feature|url=http://www.pressgazette.co.uk/saga-magazine-says-it-does-not-offer-copy-control-after-row-over-clare-balding-cover-feature/|access-date=6 October 2017|work=Press Gazette|date=2 October 2017}}

Balding was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the 2013 Birthday Honours for services to broadcasting and journalism.{{London Gazette|issue=60534 |supp=y|page=9|date=15 June 2013}}{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-22626487 |title=Birthday Honours 2013: At a glance |work=BBC News |date=14 June 2013 |access-date=17 October 2013}} In the same year, Balding was presented with the special BAFTA for her work on the 2012 Olympics and Paralympics.{{cite web|url=http://www.bafta.org/television/awards/clare-balding-special-award-recipient-in-2013|title=Clare Balding: Special Award Recipient in 2013|website=www.bafta.org|date=28 April 2013 |access-date=5 November 2017}}

Balding won the Royal Television Society's "Sports Presenter of the Year" in 2003 and "Presenter" in 2012. Also in 2003, she won the "Racing Journalist of the Year Award" and has followed up with the award for "Racing Broadcaster of the Year".

In December 2012, she was awarded the "Biography/Autobiography of the Year" award of the National Book Awards for My Animals and Other Family.{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/books/2012/dec/05/el-james-national-books-award |title=EL James comes out on top at National Book awards |work=The Guardian |author=Alison Flood |date=5 December 2012 |access-date=5 December 2012 |location=London}}

She won an achievement award from the UK chapter of the Women in Film and Television in 2012 for her coverage of the Olympics and Paralympics.{{cite news|last=Frost|first=Vicky|title=Clare Balding honoured at Women in Film and Television awards|url=https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2012/dec/07/clare-balding-women-film-television-awards|access-date=3 February 2013|newspaper=The Guardian|date=7 December 2012|location=London}}

Balding was awarded the 2012 Sports Journalists' Association's annual British Sports Journalism Award for Sports Broadcaster of the Year (BBC and Channel 4).{{citation needed|date=April 2013}}

In February 2013 she was assessed as being one of the 100 most powerful women in the UK by Woman's Hour on BBC Radio 4.{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b007qlvb/features/power-list-100|title=BBC Radio 4 – Woman's Hour – The Power List 2013|work=BBC|access-date=24 April 2015|archive-date=19 March 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140319195056/http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b007qlvb/features/power-list-100|url-status=dead}} and also won the award for Sports Presenter at the Television and Radio Industries Club Awards.{{citation needed|date=April 2013}}

Her other awards include Attitude Awards TV Personality of the Year 2012, TRIC Sports Presenter of the Year 2013, British Equestrian Federation Outstanding Journalist of the Year 2014, First Women Awards Lifetime Achievement 2015, the Horserace Writers' Association's Broadcaster of the Year award{{Cite web |title=2012 British Sports Journalism Awards |url=https://www.sportsjournalists.co.uk/sja-journalism-awards/2012-british-sports-journalism-awards/ |access-date=2023-02-01 |website=Sports Journalists' Association |language=en-GB}} and awards from Tatler magazine.

Balding was made an Honorary Fellow of Newnham College, Cambridge in 2014.{{cite web|url=https://www.newn.cam.ac.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/2019-2020-Honorary-Fellows.pdf|title=Honoray Fellows|website=Newnham College - University of Cambridge|access-date=29 September 2022}}

She was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in the 2022 Birthday Honours for services to sport and charity.{{London Gazette|issue=63714|supp=y|page=B9|date=1 June 2022}}

Clare Balding formalised her relationship with Alice Arnold, then a BBC Radio 4 continuity announcer and newsreader, in September 2006 by entering into a civil partnership at Chiswick House.{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/theobserver/2006/dec/10/features.review37|title=One year of being Mr and Mr|newspaper=The Observer|date=10 December 2006|access-date=19 November 2011|location=London|first=Louise|last=France}} The couple lived with their Tibetan terrier, Archie.{{cite web|title=The Tatler List|url=http://www.tatler.com/the-tatler-list|work=Tatler|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160205224814/http://www.tatler.com/the-tatler-list|archive-date=5 February 2016|df=dmy-all}} In April 2015, she and Arnold married in a private ceremony at the same venue.{{cite web|url=http://www.hellomagazine.com/brides/2015040424429/clare-balding-marries-alice-arnold/|title=Clare Balding marries Alice Arnold – hellomagazine.com|work=hellomagazine.com|date=4 April 2015 |access-date=24 April 2015}}{{Cite web |last=Taylor |first=Interviews by Jeremy |date=2018-07-07 |title=Relative Values: the BBC's Wimbledon presenter, Clare Balding, and her wife, the former Radio 4 broadcaster Alice Arnold |url=https://www.thetimes.com/culture/tv-radio/article/relative-values-the-bbcs-wimbledon-presenter-clare-balding-and-her-wife-the-former-radio-4-broadcaster-alice-arnold-mbsmn68ht |access-date=2025-04-21 |website=www.thetimes.com |language=en}} They live in Chiswick, West London.{{Cite web |title=Clare Balding OBE TV presenter |url=https://chiswickcalendar.co.uk/clare-balding/ |access-date=2023-04-10 |website=The Chiswick Calendar |date=23 March 2021 |language=en-GB}}

On 29 May 2009, Balding announced that she had thyroid cancer. She promised to be back on television covering the Epsom Derby, by the following Saturday. On 21 August 2009, she announced that the radioactive iodine had been successful with no signs of the cancer having spread.{{citation needed|date=April 2020}}

In July 2010, Balding made a complaint to the Press Complaints Commission over an article by writer A. A. Gill in The Sunday Times that she felt had mocked her sexuality and appearance{{cite news|url= https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-10817463|title= Clare Balding makes Sunday Times sex jibe complaint|work= BBC News|date= 30 July 2010|access-date= 30 July 2010}} and for which the newspaper declined to apologise.Caroline Davies [https://www.theguardian.com/world/2010/jul/30/clare-balding-lesbian-complaint-gill Clare Balding complains to press watchdog over 'dyke' jibe], The Guardian, 30 July 2010 The PCC found in her favour, judging that Gill had "refer[red] to the complainant's sexuality in a demeaning and gratuitous way".[https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-11333484 Clare Balding complaint over sexuality is upheld] BBC News, 17 September 2010; Retrieved 17 September 2010 In 2014, she was named in the top 10 on the World Pride Power list.{{cite news|title=World Pride Power List 2014|url=http://www.worldpridepowerlist.com/|newspaper=The Guardian|url-status=usurped|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150208160458/http://www.worldpridepowerlist.com/|archive-date=8 February 2015|df=dmy-all}}

After Liam Treadwell's Grand National victory on 4 April 2009, Balding interviewed him and made fun of his apparently bad teeth.{{cite news| url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7985997.stm | work=BBC News | title=Jockey on Balding teeth joke | date=6 April 2009 | access-date=7 May 2010}} Balding later clarified on BBC's Have I Got News For You quiz that she believed Treadwell, who suffered from microdontia and hypodontia, to have had his teeth "kicked out" by a horse, a common injury suffered by jockeys, apologising again for her error. However, Treadwell stated that he was pleased with her comment, as a dentist offered to fix his teeth at no cost. "It was the best thing Clare ever said", Treadwell said.{{cite news |last1=White |first1=Jim |title=Clare Balding's jibe at Liam Treadwell's teeth pays off |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/horseracing/5208939/Clare-Baldings-jibe-at-Liam-Treadwells-teeth-pays-off.html |access-date=3 December 2019 |work=The Daily Telegraph |date=23 April 2009}}

In 2014, Balding publicly backed Hacked Off and its campaign towards UK press self-regulation by "safeguarding the press from political interference while also giving vital protection to the vulnerable."{{cite news| url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/benedict-cumberbatch-alfonso-cuaron-maggie-689289 | work=The Hollywood Reporter | first=Georg | last=Szalai | title=Benedict Cumberbatch, Alfonso Cuaron, Maggie Smith Back U.K. Press Regulation | date=18 March 2014}}{{cite news| url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/media/press/campaign-group-hacked-off-urge-newspaper-industry-to-back-the-royal-charter-on-press-freedom-9197869.html | location=London | work=The Independent | first=Ian | last=Burrell | title=Campaign group Hacked Off urge newspaper industry to back the Royal Charter on press freedom | date=18 March 2014}}[http://hackinginquiry.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/4282-HackedOff-Guardian-ad-286x440-d3.png] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140319063439/http://hackinginquiry.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/4282-HackedOff-Guardian-ad-286x440-d3.png|date=19 March 2014}}

Balding's matrilineal great-great-grandparents Edward Stanley, 17th Earl of Derby and Lady Alice Montagu, both descended from Henry VII. The earl's lineage can also be traced back to Sir Thomas Frankland.

She is also descended, via Joseph C. Hoagland, from Sarah Rapelje, the first woman of European descent born in what is now New York, to Dutch-settler parents.{{Cite episode |title=Clare Balding |series=Who Do You Think You Are? |series-link=Who Do You Think You Are? (UK TV series) |url= http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b08yw6x6 |access-date=20 July 2017 |network= BBC Television |date= 2017-07-20 |series-no=14 |number=3 }}

{{ahnentafel

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|1. Clare Balding

|2. Ian Balding

|3. Hon. Emma Hastings-Bass (1949–)

|4. Gerald Matthews Balding

|5. Eleanor Hoagland (1915–1985)

|6. Peter Hastings-Bass

|7. Priscilla Bullock

|8. Albert Charles Balding (1874–1947)

|9. Florence Mabel Matthews (1877–1963)

|10. Joseph Christoffel Hoagland (1889–1967)

|11. Eleanor Sheldon Prentice (d. 1967)

|12. Hon. Aubrey Hastings (1878–1929)

|13. Winifred Forsyth Forrest (1887–1977)

|14. Sir Harold Bullock, 1st Baronet

|15. Lady Victoria Stanley (1892–1927)

|16. William Thomas John Balding (1855–1881)

|17. Anna Maria (Mary Ann) Burn (1853–1914)

|18. John Barnard Matthews (ABT 1819–1900)

|19. Mary Ann Jane Brooks (1846–1899)

|20. Raymond Hoagland (1866–1927),
son of Joseph C. Hoagland

|21. Rosa Porter (1867–1942)

|22. William Satterlee Packer Prentice (1852–1923)

|23. Ella Crawford Sheldon (1855–1909)

|24. Francis Hastings, 14th Earl of Huntingdon (1841–1885)

|25. Mary Westenra (1847–1894)

|26. Thomas Forsyth Forrest (1858–1942)

|27. Marion Hilda Goldie (1862–1947)

|28. Frank Bullock (1850–1926)

|29. Isabel Charlotte Wood (1857–)

|30. Edward Stanley, 17th Earl of Derby

|31. Lady Alice Montagu

}}

Balding has been a presenter on Sport Relief since its inception in 2002. She also participated in a celebrity edition of The Apprentice to raise money for charity.[http://www.cafonline.org/default.aspx?page=15209&WT.mc_id=400 "Clare Balding to appear in Sport Relief Does The Apprentice for charity"], Charities Aid Foundation, 28 February 2008; Retrieved 29 February 2008 Sport Relief Does The Apprentice is part of the BBC's annual charity initiative and aired on 12 and 14 March 2008. "The Girls' team", which also included Louise Redknapp, Jacqueline Gold, Kirstie Allsopp and Lisa Snowdon, won the contest, raising over £400,000 from ticket sales and sales on the night of the big event at their shop.

In 2010, Balding became a patron of the British Thyroid Foundation.[http://www.btf-thyroid.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=42&Itemid=87 Patrons] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121105180917/http://www.btf-thyroid.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=42&Itemid=87 |date=5 November 2012 }} British Thyroid Foundation

In 2015, Balding became an ambassador for Southampton FC's official charity, the Saints Foundation.{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aTB1MXYE-DA |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211221/aTB1MXYE-DA |archive-date=2021-12-21 |url-status=live|title=Clare Balding visits Saints Foundation|last=Southampton FC|date=2 October 2015|access-date=5 November 2017|via=YouTube}}{{cbignore}}

She is also patron to a number of other charities including Riding for the Disabled, British Paralympic Association, Diversity Role Models,{{Cite web |title=Diversity Role Models |url=https://www.diversityrolemodels.org/ |access-date=2023-02-01 |website=www.diversityrolemodels.org |language=en-GB}} The Mintridge Foundation{{Cite web |title=The Mintridge Foundation |url=https://www.mintridgefoundation.org.uk/ |access-date=2023-02-01 |website=The Mintridge Foundation |language=en-GB}} and the Jane Tomlinson Appeal.{{Cite web |title=Jane Tomlinson Appeal {{!}} Improving lives |url=https://www.janetomlinsonappeal.com/ |access-date=2023-02-01 |website=Jane Tomlinson Appeal |language=en}} Plus she is Vice-Patron for Injured Jockeys Fund{{Cite web |date=2020-06-02 |title=Home - Injured Jockeys Fund |url=https://injuredjockeys.co.uk/ |access-date=2023-02-01 |website=injuredjockeys.co.uk |language=en-GB}} and Helen Rollason Cancer Charity.

After fronting the BBC coverage of the sport for several years, Balding was appointed as the 30th President of the Rugby Football League in July 2020 succeeding former footballer Tony Adams.{{cite news |title=New RFL president Clare Balding wants women's game to become professional |url=https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2020/jul/16/new-rfl-president-clare-balding-womens-rugby-league-professional |access-date=17 October 2020 |work=The Guardian |date=16 July 2020 |language=en}} The RFL Council appointed role undertakes a two-year term which Balding served from July 2020 to December 2022. She stated that during her tenure she wanted to see the women's game become a professional sport.{{cite news |last1=Tomas |first1=Fiona |title=New RFL president Clare Balding vows to 'do something special' for women's rugby league |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/rugby-league/2020/07/16/new-rfl-president-clare-balding-vows-do-something-special-womens/ |access-date=17 October 2020 |work=The Telegraph |date=16 July 2020}}

• List of significant families in British horse racing

{{reflist}}

• {{Official website|http://www.clarebalding.co.uk/}}
• [https://www.bbc.co.uk/pressoffice/biographies/biogs/sport/clarebalding.shtml Biography of Clare Balding] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110514042654/http://www.bbc.co.uk/pressoffice/biographies/biogs/sport/clarebalding.shtml |date=14 May 2011 }} BBC Press Office
• [http://www.primeperformersagency.co.uk/profile/clare-balding/ Clare Balding Profile] Speaker Agency Profile
• {{IMDb name|id=0049753|name=Clare Balding}}

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Category:1971 births

Category:Alumni of Newnham College, Cambridge

Clare

Category:BBC Radio 2 presenters

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category:Walkers of the United Kingdom

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