Countdown: Clare Balding pays tribute to Emma Raducanu
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Clare Balding is one of the most successful broadcasters on telly, having previously presented Good Morning Sunday on BBC Radio 2 before landing her job for BBC Sport. The 51-year-old is also a presenter on Channel 4 and BT Sport.
I didn’t want to be with someone who needed looking after.
Alice Arnold
But Clare’s TV success initially came at a price as her wife Alice Arnold became increasingly concerned about becoming the “housewife” to her significant other’s success.
The pair met back in 1999 when they were working at the BBC together.
Their first get-together was long before Clare would take the television industry by storm and swoop up presenting gigs at all the major TV broadcasters.
And by 2006, they had entered into a civil partnership at Chiswick House.
Clare and Alice went on to use the same venue when they finally tied the knot in 2015.
But in a 2018 interview with The Times, Alice expressed how she feared that Clare’s success would create an imbalance between the two, though they both work in broadcasting and journalism.
Speaking to the publication on why she became hesitant to jump into a relationship with Clare at first, Alice said: “To begin with I was especially concerned that Clare was in the media spotlight.
“I didn’t want to be with someone who needed looking after.
“I didn’t want the imbalance of being the housewife to her success.”
But the more time Alice began to spend with Clare, the more she realised that the latter wasn’t chasing success or fame.
The former BBC Radio 4 newsreader explained how she felt a genuine connection to Clare, particularly because they came from the same profession.
But becoming famous in the process of doing her day-to-day job was never something Clare focused her attention on.
“As I got to know her, I realised she is not high maintenance at all,” Alice added.
“In fact, because we both come from a media background, we are good sounding boards for each other. We are very honest in our guidance of each other.”
The doting couple made a joint appearance on Channel 4’s Gogglebox last year as they gave their opinions on the latest TV shows from the comfort of their sofa.
Alice holds a degree in politics before training to become an actress.
After a short stint in a musical, she began working as a magistrate for 10 years before commencing her new job at BBC Radio 4.
She worked with the Beeb for a whopping 20 years as a newsreader before announcing her departure in 2012.
Though Clare and Alice had known each other since 1999, it wasn’t until three years later that the couple decided to start seeing one another.
In a previous interview with Country and Townhouse online, Clare shared: “We were very much friends at first and didn’t get together until the autumn of 2002.
“Alice had always been ‘out’, but I wasn’t and really struggled with it.”
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