Clare Balding is irritating AIBU?

I think she’s good, not irritating in the slightest.

I really like CB - her style is friendly and relaxed. She really does do her homework and is able to get the best out of the pundits that are there to give the specific background of the different sports. She seems to be able to make everyone she interviews be relaxed too. She doesn't have to read off a script, and is very natural on camera. She deals with the ups and downs of live television far better than most presenters of live TV.

I think she and Hazel Irvine are two of the best presenters of live sports programmes on TV. It is so nice to see middle aged women represented in a male dominated world.

She is so irritating !!! I turned on the olympics this morning to find her there after commenting last night how nice it was she wasn’t there !!! She does crufts and us bloody dreadful knows nothing ( I show dogs ) and she very rude and arrogant off screen . My son was reporting at crufts and met and watched her back stage . Please bbc find someone else

What a twat she is.

I still can't forgive Clare Balding for her comments about the jockey Liam Treadwell's teeth. He had just won the Grand National and she thought it would be appropriate/funny to suggest he could use the prize money to get his teeth sorted out. So rude and not the right moment, at all.
She's an OK presenter, but, I just think that was a low thing to say to somebody on what was probably one of the best days of his sporting career.

She's done the winter Olympics coverage for years, and does it brilliantly imo. Same with Wimbledon, she obviously does her research but makes it all look seemless.

We are big Balding fans in my house.

I personally like her .She comes over warm and friendly with a sharp interest in the sport she is doing.

I do like generally her, but we tuned into the end of the BBC coverage last night and the time filling twaddle she and the other pundit were putting us through was pretty dreadful.

Don't watch then. She's very good at what she does but liking a presenter isn't obligatory.

I was going to say the same! Only listened because DC was in a walking group that she walked with but have since listened to more.

I thought I didn’t like him, but saw him on Richard Osman’s House of Games recently and he actually came across as a nice guy.

Who would you suggest instead of her?

Nail on head there.... 😅

Its a bit like having the same (former favourite) meal every single evening, never a change... it would just be nice to have a few sports events that she isn't hosting.

I could imagine people who can commentate on/ present any sport are few and far between.

she’s the presenter though not the expert so she’s not exactly an Annabelle Croft, they have a sportsperson on to explain the strategy etc so lizzy yarnold was explaining luge assume as its skeleton adjacent. And Steve cram was with someone who really understood curling. Suppose at the Winter Olympics it’s harder to get British competitors on as we aren’t competing in that many events. See chemmy Alcott who I am sure is a lovely woman but gets wheeled out any time a ski touches the snow.

How very dare her be a woman, middle aged and a lesbian. And wear sensible clothes. What right has she got to be on the telly?

I really like her, and she’s clearly a lot better at it than the other people presenting the olympics. The new MOTD presenters absolutely suck and CB would be an improvement.

”I don’t dislike Balding”

I think you do

I reckon she quickly reads a manual the night before on any given sport so that she can do the commentary the next day

"I can do that Producer Sue"

Its a joke in our house. We love that Clare does everything. A jack of all trades.
Dont you all remember Tracey Ullmans impression of her.

I think she is really good.

Yea I get it - recently I heard her advertising her book on the radio and I thought ffs she’s everywhere! Still not as bad as Holly W tho 🥴 - not her I find mega irritating.

I have no particular beef with her other than she’s a bit boring.

I do hate how it’s the same presenters on everything though. If Holly gets the strictly gig I am done with it.

DH does a minority sport that's on TV once a year. Claire Balding presents the programme and will interview competitors but Jim Rosenthal does the commentary. Both have researched it thoroughly and always speak to competitors beforehand so they know a bit about them.

She’s irritating and seems to be everywhere at the moment. Even a bloody advert for something. 🙄

I actually don’t want ex players fronting everything. Her mum is Lady Emma Balding and her dad, Ian Balding, has just died and trained racehorses. As does her brother, Andrew. Clare is bright and a safe pair of hands. Does her homework (went to Cambridge) and is a wholly reliable broadcaster and easy to listen to.

listening to many ex sports people on radio 5, they are ignorant about many things outside sport. Clare is so much more than that and gets work accordingly. The bbc has always had general sports presenters - Gaby Logan? Was a gymnast and dad a footballer but she’s got a broad portfolio. They are not specialist commentators - they are anchors.