Clare Balding has revealed she found love with wife Alice Arnold after fending off a marriage proposal from an army boyfriend 21 years ago.
The couple, who appeared together on Celebrity Gogglebox, met in 1999 when Alice was a Radio 4 newsreader and presenter; They first became friends, as they both had partners, before their own relationship began and progressed.
Clare said she never fully fell in love with the boyfriends she had before finding true love with Arnold, and was only saved from her boyfriend’s proposal when he was sent away.
She and Alice married in 2015, but although those close to them knew they were a couple, they did not make it public at first.
Clare also described Alice as “fiercely loyal”, adding: “She would protect me and it’s an incredible quality.” It’s like having your own guard dog – she’s amazing.’
Clare Balding has revealed she found love with wife Alice Arnold after fending off a marriage proposal from an army boyfriend 21 years ago.
She said that when she started dating and hanging out with guys, it took a while before she realized that she was much more comfortable with women.
Clare, who currently presents sports for several channels, said: “I had a few boyfriends, not many. But I had a very serious boyfriend for two or three years.
‘He asked me to marry him and he was in the army and was leaving. And I thought ‘he’s only asking me because he thinks he’s in danger and, according to romantic movies, at this point I have to say he is.’
And I knew I didn’t want to do it. I said, ‘Look, that’s nice to say, but ask me again when you get back.’
‘And when he came back he didn’t ask me again, and I thought ‘Thank God.’ I thought ‘I don’t trust you and I will never trust you.’
“And, funnily enough, I was absolutely right, as his ex-wife told me not long ago.”
Speaking to Gyles Brandreth on the Rosebud podcast, Clare said: “But I wasn’t very nice, I don’t think it was with the men.” There was a part of me that they would never be allowed to have.
‘That relationship didn’t end very well and he behaved appallingly. I think that hurt me, but that doesn’t make you gay. I just think that when I first fell in love with a woman it was completely different.
The couple met in 1999 and became friends first, as they were both in relationships, before their own relationship began and progressed.
“Alice is by far the longest and most serious relationship of my life.”
Alice described Clare as very positive and “phenomenally kind.”
She said: ‘Clare is constantly asked for favors. Clare would do anything anyone asked of her.
The BBC Sport star said he first saw Alice on a BBC show but didn’t know who she was.
He added: “I saw her and thought, ‘Oh, she’s really interesting and quite beautiful.’ We started chatting and she’s really funny. We were friends for at least two years.
That first meeting did not have the same impact on Arnold as she said: ‘I didn’t think anything of it. We were both in other relationships.
Then he came to dinner. I thought you were great at what you did, but a relationship with her wasn’t in my plans. I just knew I liked her and that she was fun.”
It was only when Alice’s relationship ended that theirs began after Balding attempted to comfort Arnold as a shoulder to cry on.
Alice continued: ‘She came to my house. She really doesn’t drink, so there was no alcohol on the floor. Clare came in and I said, “I don’t have a drink, so why don’t I go get it? I’ll go to the office off license and you’ll stay here.”
“But Clare interpreted that as ‘you’ll stay here forever.'” She never left.
“So I basically went out to get a bottle of wine and when I came back, his toothbrush was unpacked, it had basically moved into my apartment.”
Clare said: “Gyles, it worked.”
It was during a trip to the Milton Keynes ski slope that Alice first told Clare that she loved her.
It was during a trip to the Milton Keynes ski slope that Alice first told Clare that she loved her.
Alice said: ‘Clare was very sweet to me, kind, lovely and gentle. I think I said in the car on the way back “I love you.”
Clare said: “I think I’ve said it 1,500 times already.” She used to leave notes on the stairs.
They said they now enjoy playing golf together and currently have big plans for their new dream home.
Clare said: “We have big plans to knock down and build a house.”