Clare Balding, 51, joined the BBC as a trainee in 1994, and has since led the coverage of sporting events including the Olympics and Paralympics, Royal Ascot and the Commonwealth Games. She is also the president of the Rugby Football League.
In 2021, you present the BBC’s coverage of the Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics … from Salford. How was that?
The tech team did a terrific job; with Bethany Firth, the swimmer who won gold for Team GB at the Paralympics, we had her mum on the line just as her hand touched the wall, which was brilliant. The other benefit of being here is that you know what’s catching on and what people are responding to, which you don’t always know when you’re in another time zone. Of course, the big difference since the last Olympic cycle is that athletes have more confidence in their own voice, whether that’s Simone Biles or Emily Campbell, the weightlifter who wanted to use her platform to talk about body image. They have become much more vocal, and they represent more than just sport.
What would you be doing if you weren’t a presenter?
I nearly went into advertising, which I don’t think is dissimilar to my job now. What I’m doing is finding a hook, and a way of making people care about sports and sportspeople.
What show had you gripped during the last year?
The Morning Show. I bloody loved it. Jennifer Aniston’s never been better, and I love Reese Witherspoon. And Ted Lasso. Men’s football is such a traditional, dry world … I love the idea of transporting someone in with fresh ideas and a belief in teamwork.
Your TV guilty pleasure
The Chase. Quite often we’ll watch it on +1. I haven’t quite gotten to the stage of recording it on series link, but that would be a logical step.
What do you eat in front of the TV?
My wife, the broadcaster Alice Arnold, and I aren’t very good cooks, but during the pandemic we started getting recipe boxes delivered, where you can make your own meals, and we made a rule to always eat at the table. We’re back on the sofa now, but it definitely needs to be “fork food” – nothing that needs a knife.
Who is the most famous person in your phone contacts?
Dawn French. And I might have Helen Mirren’s number. I always try to make a new friend at the Baftas.
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