Clare Balding is among the list of famous faces who will make their way into the castle this week with the chance to prove themselves as either a Faithful or a Traitor. The Traitors finally returns to screens with a fresh star-studded version of the hit BBC programme hosted by Claudia Winkleman.
The 54-year-old has been a familiar face on our TV screens over the years, presenting a variety of sports coverage on the BBC. She has featured on several broadcasts of the Olympic Games, as well as the Paralympic Games and Commonwealth Games. Balding is also the face of Crufts, which moved to Channel 4 in 2013, and BBC Sports Personality of the Year.
Away from her busy life on screen, Clare has been in a relationship with her partner Alice for over two decades. The couple first met in the 1990s, as Alice was a newsreader on BBC Radio 4. They entered a civil partnership in 2006 and went on to get married in 2015.
However, Clare has previously spoken about their decision not to have children. In an interview with the Radio Times back in 2015, the TV presenter said she “never had that urge”.
She shared: “I have never wanted children. It’s my choice, but of course it’s not something that’s going to happen by accident. Yes, it could happen if I wished it to. I have two nephews, a niece and eight godchildren, and I love that. But I don’t want kids. I just never had that urge.”
She continued: “One of the many benefits of being gay is that people don’t assume you want children, so they don’t ask you. My brother Andrew’s relationship with his wife Anna Lisa is almost as long-standing as mine with Alice, and all they were ever asked is ‘When are you getting married?’ and ‘When are you having children?’. We never got that from anybody.”
Despite her decision not to have children, Clare always eagerly anticipated the day she could welcome a dog into her life after meeting Alice. The couple eventually brought Tibetan terrier Archie into their household. But in 2020, Clare faced the agonising choice to have Archie put to sleep.
Clare previously described it as the “best decision” for their beloved pet but acknowledges she “thinks about him every day,” reports Wales Online. Following his death, Clare felt compelled to continue walking his cherished route as a way to honour Archie’s memory.
Speaking to The Times, Clare said: “After Archie died in 2020, I wanted to walk his favourite route repeatedly to remember him, which seems a rather masochistic thing to do, and it was so painful because we kept seeing dogs we knew, and I’d stop to say hello before bursting into tears. We cried a heck of a lot, but slowly it became easier.”
Clare will return to screens this week as part of the star-studded version of the popular BBC programme, The Traitors. This time, a batch of famous faces will make their way into the castle with the chance to prove themselves as either a Faithful or a Traitor.
The celebrity edition of the game of deception and betrayal will feature stars including actor and broadcaster Sir Stephen Fry, Olympian Tom Daley, singer Charlotte Church and TV presenter Kate Garraway.
Clare has previously expressed her love for the show so it came as no surprise she signed up for the celebrity version. Speaking on Loose Women while the show was in the works, Clare said she “loves the show”. She said: “I love the show. Don’t you? It’s so interesting.”