Is it even an Olympic Games – be that winter or summer – if Clare Balding isn’t on our television screens? One of our country’s finest broadcasters first started working on the Olympics at the Atlanta Games in 1996, and has done so for the BBC ever since.
Balding has presented some of sport’s finest moments, and is currently part of the Beeb’s punditry team for the ongoing Winter Olympics. She was anchoring the Friday evening coverage when Team GB’s first gold medal of the 2026 Games in Milano-Cortina arrived via skeleton ace Matt Weston.
It’s the sort of thing that makes her one of the nation’s favourites, but what some might not realise is that Balding’s partner is actually somewhat of a celebrity in her own right. Her wife, Alice Arnold, also enjoyed a career in broadcasting as a newsreader and host, working for BBC Radio 4 for 18 years. She and Balding met during their earlier days at the BBC.
Commenting on their relationship, Balding said: “I saw her and thought ‘Oh, she’s really interesting and rather beautiful’. We started chatting and she’s very funny. We were friends for at least two years… I know what real, deep love is and meeting someone I want to grow old with. Lucky, lucky me.”
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As one of the main faces of BBC Sport, it’s no surprise that Balding pockets a handsome wage from the broadcaster. It’s believed that throughout her career, Balding has established herself as a millionaire, with her last appearance in the annual salary list from 2023 showing her wage to be between £178,000 – £184,999.
That was a drop off from the previous year, though, where it came in between £205,000-£209,999. That doesn’t involve payments from her writing career though, with Balding also having enjoyed a career as a successful author.