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Now here’s a surprise. Clare Balding will not be appearing on Channel 4 racing for a fortnight.
Charles Sale reports in the Daily Mail:
Channel 4, after the damp squib start to their new monopoly horseracing contract on New Year’s Day, can’t now count on the Clare Balding effect to help bed in the underwhelming new programming.
Broadcast darling Balding, who is only contracted to 40 days of presenting per year, will not be fronting C4’s racing again until January 19 at Ascot.
Nicky Henderson has asked us to point out that he will not be standing in for her. Neither will Willie Carson.
Had no idea that her appearances were going to be so infrequent; think it’s quite unacceptable. Found this mornings Morning Line rather wooden; Nick Schofield looked like someone having a job interview. Missing some of the regulars already.
Apart from the interview/"mugs game" I found today’s Morning Line a slight improvement from the old one. There seemed more well thought out race analysis from McGrath and Cunningham.
Value Is EverythingSome criticism of Clare may be justified and some may be well intentioned or truthful. But I do find myself wondering if there may be something else behind some of the more vociferous stuff.
Value Is EverythingFound this morning’s Morning Line rather wooden
I have to confess I thought the new IMG-produced Morning Line was much better than the tired old Highflyer version.
It seemed to be lot tighter and more professional. It didn’t look as messy and little things like having the presenters sitting around a desk, rather than lolling around on a couch, gave a better impression.
I could do without them showing off about the technology by having unnecessary shots of them pressing buttons on the touch-screen desk but that’s a minor matter.
The discussion of various tweets from viewers was a reasonable innovation but I’m surprised they didn’t take the opportunity to scrap the much-criticised Guest Test, instead of just reinventing it as A Mug’s Game, with the prize of, er, a Channel 4 mug.
Graham Cunningham actually seemed to me a very good addition and was far more impressive than Francome ever was. Glad to admit my misgivings about him look like being entirely unfounded and he looks as though he will bring some straight-talking gravitas to the Channel 4 coverage.
The team looked to have taken delivery of a job-lot of schoolboy jumpers. No sign of any ties, of course, in the new deliberately casual look. Perhaps the budget didn’t extend to that. I’ll send them some of my cast-off ties.
Clare Balding did very well in her contributions from Nicky Henderson’s yard in the New Year’s Day programme. I’m more than happy to admit that I now think the omens are looking a lot more promising than I feared.
Some criticism of Clare may be justified and some may be well intentioned or truthful. But I do find myself wondering if there may be something else behind some of the more vociferous stuff.
A lot of the criticism of Clare is motivated by good old-fashioned inverted snobbery because of her affluent background, posh school and Cambridge University education, perceived patronising manner and social connections.
Then there is her now frequently discussed sexuality and her new willingness to be extremely open about it and to discuss it in detail in every newspaper interview you care to read.
You only have to look at other forums to see the nasty comments about her background and sexuality to realise that, for many people, this is what they don’t like about her, rather than the consummate and extremely competent way she does her job.
She remains supremely professional and even what I saw of her from Nicky Henderson’s stable fills me with optimism that the Royal Ascot and Grand National programmes will be in very good hands.
I also think Mick Fitzgerald will be good. He appeared regularly a few years ago on Channel 4, particularly at Cheltenham meetings, so don’t understand why so many people are against him.
Some criticism of Clare may be justified and some may be well intentioned or truthful. But I do find myself wondering if there may be something else behind some of the more vociferous stuff.
A lot of the criticism of Clare is motivated by good old-fashioned inverted snobbery because of her affluent background, posh school and Cambridge University education, perceived patronising manner and social connections.
Then there is her now frequently discussed sexuality and her new willingness to be extremely open about it and to discuss it in detail in every newspaper interview you care to read.
You only have to look at other forums to see the nasty comments about her background and sexuality to realise that, for many people, this is what they don’t like about her, rather than the consummate and extremely competent way she does her job.
She remains supremely professional and even what I saw of her from Nicky Henderson’s stable fills me with optimism that the Royal Ascot and Grand National programmes will be in very good hands.
I also think Mick Fitzgerald will be good. He appeared regularly a few years ago on Channel 4, particularly at Cheltenham meetings, so don’t understand why so many people are against him.
Inverted snobbery? Her sexuality?
Not guilty I’m afraid. I have absolutely nothing against her personally but I don’t like the way she talks to us as if we know nothing. Her patronising manner is "perceived" by many so perhaps it has some substance to it.
Please don’t come on here and tell me that I am an inverted snob or homophobic just because I don’t like someone.
"this perfect mix of poetry and destruction, this glory of rhythm, power and majesty: the undisputed champion of the world!!!"
Some criticism of Clare may be justified and some may be well intentioned or truthful. But I do find myself wondering if there may be something else behind some of the more vociferous stuff.
You only have to look at other forums to see the nasty comments about her background and sexuality to realise that, for many people, this is what they don’t like about her, rather than the consummate and extremely competent way she does her job.
Please don’t come on here and tell me that I am an inverted snob or homophobic just because I don’t like someone.
I certainly wasn’t referring to you and never mentioned you or anyone else on this forum.
I clearly said: "You only have to look at other forums…"
I clearly said: "You only have to look at other forums…"
…And as I clearly said Joni: "Some criticism of Clare may be justified and some may be well intentioned or truthful". I do though agree with CP that SOME criticism seems to be influenced by other factors. However, to single anyone out would be unfair and Clare no doubt should face criticism from this forum and others when justified.
Value Is EverythingI’ve always rated Clare highly, right from when she first started with the BBC. But I do feel that the figurehead of a programme should be there most of the time. I do like Graham Cunningham. However, there’s some background music that they keep playing which is driving me bonkers [have they always played background music and I’ve never noticed before?].
I’ve always rated Clare highly, right from when she first started with the BBC. But I do feel that the figurehead of a programme should be there most of the time. I do like Graham Cunningham. However, there’s some background music that they keep playing which is driving me bonkers [have they always played background music and I’ve never noticed before?].
I also find the background racket totally irritating. Same on the morning line.
Maybe one day we will be able to have 4 track sound reception on the TV and be able to switch the noise off.
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