‘BEING KIND IS NEVER THE WRONG CHOICE’ Clare Balding on her life in lockdown and giving back

It was meant to be a summer of sport for presenter Clare Balding, but instead she’s staying home and getting fit herself – and trying to find ways to give something back

Clare Balding was expecting a busy summer fronting Wimbledon and presenting the BBC coverage of the Tokyo 2020 Summer Olympics. But, with major sporting events postponed or cancelled, things have turned out very differently. Instead, Clare’s been focusing on writing and home life in west London with her wife, Alice, dog, Archie, and cat, Button. She’s just finished the first draft of a new children’s book and has another in the pipeline, called Heroic Animals, so even without sport in her life, Clare’s keeping busy.

She’s characteristically self-effacing when we chat on a video call over a cup of coffee, running her hand through her hair and apologising for it looking ‘disgraceful’ (it definitely doesn’t). The positivity that she’s famous for still shines bright, but right now, it’s offset with a practical dose of stoicism. ‘It’s going to be strange for a while yet,’ she says. But, as she reveals, she’s staying upbeat – and swapping her passion for presenting sport with a new love for fitness.

How did you feel when you found out that sport was postponed this summer?

With the Olympics, it was the only decision they could have made. That uncertainty, particularly for the athletes, would have been difficult. I’ve been pretty sanguine about it. I can’t change it and you just have to be a bit more creative. You have to adapt. It’s going to be such a great relief and celebration of everything that’s lovely about sport when it returns. This summer, the London 2012 and Rio 2016 Olympics are being shown on TV, so I’ll get to see things I missed because I was working, such as the full opening ceremonies and Super Saturday.

What have you learned about yourself since lockdown started?

There are so many people in desperate situations, so every day I think I am very lucky, and I’m very appreciative of what I have. But my word, what this has shown me is that I want to try to help people who are in much worse situations. I want to find an effective way of doing so. I volunteered

You don’t realise how precious things are until they’re taken away from you

It’s going to be such a celebration of everything that’s lovely about sport when it returns

for the NHS support service, but I think it was just overwhelmed by the amount of responses it got. You want to feel useful, and you have to find a practical way of doing that. One of the things that has been lovely has been getting to know our neighbours better, and Alice and I have been doing the Couch To 5K running app, too. I’m not a runner. We’re about to do our first big, solid 20-minute block of a run and I can’t pretend I’m not a bit scared about that.

What have you missed the most about life before lockdown?

I really missed walking in big landscapes, huffing and puffing up a hill and standing at the top of it to look at an amazing view. I missed the adrenaline rush of live presenting, but I didn’t miss having to be on show. I didn’t miss that at all. I quite liked the fact that I didn’t have to wear any make-up. I put on some mascara today, but I certainly haven’t been wearing make-up every day. I’m always in very relaxed clothes now and I’ve been sleeping for nine hours every night.

What have you been most looking forward to doing again?

I’ve been desperate to hug my nephews and niece. They give such good hugs. You don’t realise how precious things are until they’re taken away from you. It’s simple stuff; it has made me realise that stating the obvious is something that we probably don’t do enough, such as asking your mates how they are and genuinely listening to the answers.

Have you found that you have connected more with people?

Definitely. We were meant to have a big school reunion, which, obviously, was cancelled, so we threw a big Zoom party instead, and that was amazing. What I’ve found on Zoom is that it’s much better to have a quiz or a theme where everyone gets to say something at a certain time; we had a really good structure. Jeepers! Structure, eh? God, I’ve become dull. I bore myself sometimes! I had a funny text exchange with Anneka Rice about what we’d been up to. I told her that I’d descaled the shower, washed my car, deleted a whole load of files on my computer, caught up on episodes of The Chase that I’d had on Series Link and was about to pour myself a gin and tonic. She said that apart from The Chase, we were totally in sync with our activities. It’s the little things, isn’t it?

Have you found that your pets have been a source of joy?

It’s just lovely. They’re great company and they make me laugh. In particular Button, as I’m trying to teach her fetch, but that’s not going so well. Archie is an old man now and therefore his walks are really slow and short. I love him very much; there’s something about another creature needing you and that responsibility, that’s a nice responsibility.

Tell us about your Dogcast podcast…

People love talking about their dogs, they really do. We interviewed broadcaster Fi Glover because the only podcast Alice will actually listen to is Fortunately. Fi has a dog named Nancy, and in lockdown, her kids decided that they needed an event, so they staged a wedding between Fi and her dog. A full-scale wedding. I think that’s so sweet and really funny.

Have you enjoyed working with Alice on Dogcast?

She’s unwillingly become a part of it and is very funny. She’s rude to me, but she is really funny. Alice has a very dry sense of humour. As she keeps pointing out, she’s not getting paid for it, but as she’s been right there when I’m recording the links, it does make sense that she’s in them.

You’ve mentioned taking up running – has that helped you cope?

Definitely. I’ve never been a runner, and I never

thought that I could be one, but it’s far more enjoyable than I thought it would be. We’ve been doing Pilates classes online with beautiful toned American women called Rhian or Jessica, but we always end up swearing at them, which is just funny because they can side plank and put their arms in the air and their top legs up and I’m like, ‘What? How am I meant to do that?’ But it makes me laugh, and I find it helps to take on a challenge and push myself out of my comfort zone. It’s not like I’ve started to learn Italian or anything, but knowing that I have little things that maybe I’m gaining or achieving along the way matters to me.

Have you been baking?

No! But I borrowed some flour from our neighbours to make gravy. I was looking at some recipes thinking, ‘Oh, we could do that,’ and then Alice said, ‘Don’t be stupid, that would mean buying all the ingredients because we don’t have them!’ So, we’re doing fine – we chop vegetables and I make good salads, but we don’t do sauces or make cakes.

It sounds like you have been quite healthy…

Frustratingly, I haven’t lost any weight.

I haven’t put any on, but I haven’t lost any. However, I do think my body shape is changing slightly, mainly because of the Pilates that I’m doing. I have been doing a great 10-minute arm workout, too.

What are the themes in your latest book The Racehorse Who Learned To Dance?

Much of the story is about friendship and how to be a good friend, but it’s also about how to dream big, how to take risks, how to push yourself out of your comfort zone. In particular, it’s about not letting yourself be limited or defined by something that’s gone wrong.

What is the most important message you want to get across to your young readers?

Be kind. It’s something you cannot say often enough. If you are given the choice, choose to be kind. It will never be the wrong choice. I do hope this pandemic has made us more concerned for each other and more forgiving, kind and grateful. Think about what more you can do. Can you help more and can you offer more? It doesn’t matter what age you are.

Do your nephews and niece come to you for advice?

That’s the best thing about being an auntie. You are the one they can always tell things to and you will keep that secret, unless it’s something illegal, in which case I would tell their mother! But there are all sorts of things they can talk to me about if they have concerns or questions they want answered. I took my niece, Flora, to watch netball last year and we drove the whole way there together, watched the match and drove back, and it was so lovely just to chat. You build that relationship and there’s no pressure on it because I’m not their parent, and I’m not looking at their exam results and I’m not reading their reports. I’m not expecting a constant standard attained; I just want to have fun with them and that’s lovely. That’s all the joy of kids with none of the hassle!

What about the boys?

Toby absolutely adores Alice, so they play golf together. They have a very sweet, very straightforward relationship and it’s just lovely. Jonno is my oldest nephew; we’re similarly wild and have to work on our focus and not being distracted. Alice and I have been hosting the family quiz every Saturday evening; setting the questions is much easier than trying to answer them.

What will the rest of 2020 look like for you?

I have no idea! I think I’ve treated the lockdown differently now to how I might have in my 30s. It’s suited me very well to be able to press pause, and I’m not as frantic or as impatient as I was. Lots of things are sitting there on hold, and 2021 will be very busy with the Olympics, the Paralympics and Wimbledon.

You are turning 50 next January…

Yes. A lot of my school friends are a year older than me, so they’ve had to cancel parties this year. Hopefully, by the end of January, we’ll be able to have a party. That would be really nice and a great thing to look forward to.

What keeps you feeling empowered at the moment?

I love reading about women in various industries and businesses, or actors, broadcasters or writers who are doing things that are different, exciting and challenging. I admire many women, such as Dame Helen Mirren, Phoebe Waller-bridge, Fiona Shaw, Angela Merkel and Dame Helena Morrissey and the driving

I think I am very lucky, and I’m very appreciative of what I have

forces behind getting the Women’s Boat Race on the Thames. I’m enjoying the fact that on programmes such as Desert Island Discs or on panel shows or Question Time, there’s definitely a shift in the representation of women. But there are still areas in which it isn’t happening. I read a piece recently about sporting documentaries, films and books, and it was all about men. In sport, there still isn’t that same recognition of women’s achievements.

What keeps you positive?

Fitness makes you feel much more energetic and therefore ready to face issues or take on challenges. Also, sleeping well, being happy in your home life and being grateful for small pleasures. I don’t think it’s something you’re just given, I think it’s something you can learn. Alice and I have joked about it on Dogcast. There are days when she says to me, ‘You go off and be your positive self, this is getting a bit boring now.’ I don’t know whether I was always that way; possibly, but I think I’m just very happy. Simple things bring joy, such as a gorgeous day, or even the sun coming out on a rotten day. Watching flowers bloom, animals, talking to the kids online… all those things bring me joy.

Simple things bring joy, such as a gorgeous day