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Hope Clare’s reading this Ian.
Things turn out best for those who make the best of how things turn out...We can but hope.
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It's the "Millwall FC" of Point broadcasts: "No One Likes Us - We Don't Care"Sadly Liam Treadwell won’t be reliving anything as he died in 2020.
That interview wasn’t Clare Balding’s finest hour, though I too wonder if there was more context to her remark than was seen on camera.
Some people don’t care about personal remarks about their appearance.
But some do, they’re entitled to their sensitivity and “I’m just having a joke with you” doesn’t cut it.
She’s fortunate no one ever said live on air to her: “That’s over familiar and offensive at best, pig ignorant at worst” and ended the interview on the spot by walking away.
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It's the "Millwall FC" of Point broadcasts: "No One Likes Us - We Don't Care"We don’t know enough about the past interactions between Balding and Treadwell to say if remarks about his teeth would have been mutually acceptable banter or overstepping the mark. For all we know, he could have made jokes about her appearance, and they might both have found this type of humour funny.
But obviously this type of thing is a minefield, and what one person thinks of as banter can be deeply hurtful to another.
Regardless of the background, Balding should have been aware of how her comments would be perceived by the huge TV audience, and should not have made them. She strikes me as someone who is quite aware of appearances normally, hence my comment that I suspect there may be some background context though.
She acknowledged she was in the wrong afterwards and apologised, and I’m not aware she has done anything similar since.
Fair comment from you, Marlingford – as always.
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It's the "Millwall FC" of Point broadcasts: "No One Likes Us - We Don't Care"Balding had already made some quite unpleasant remarks about Amy Winehouse about a year before the “Treadwell incident”, when she was a guest on “Have I Got News For You”. She had form.
“National treasure” Balding ruined CH4 racing after being appointed lead presenter to attract new viewers and achieved the opposite.
BBC should think twice before giving her Sue Barkers Wimbledon role.I think Radio 4 commissioning editors must be auto renew robots. We’ve had 40 series of Balding’s ‘Ramblings’ No doubt there’s still the odd few who think it a delight.
CAS, Amy Winehouse was a constant source of material on the comedy programmes of that era. I’m not saying that it was right to criticise her, but it was a different time.
Appreciate I sound like a Balding apologist, but I think she’s getting an unfairly hard time on this thread! As racing broadcasters go, I thought she was a breath of fresh air after the stale Julian Wilson.
She clearly decided to disassociate herself from racing in later years. This seems to have been a calculated career move which has made me cool towards her somewhat, but I still think she is a very good broadcaster.
She just really grates on me, Marlingford.
I’d like to think the BBC would no longer take any notice of requests from Buckingham Palace that a Royal trainer’s offspring be given a job, let alone fast tracked into a senior role.
And once these people are in, it’s a life sentence for the viewer.
She isn’t even a racing expert – most of us probably know more about Mill Reef, who her Dad trained, than her, and in other spheres things like “Mo Time” have been pure cringe.
Can’t stand her, sorry.
I’d rather listen to that woman who grew up in Poplar near me in Docklands and went on to be a ladies’ football player before becoming a TV pundit.
At least she’s “real.”
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It's the "Millwall FC" of Point broadcasts: "No One Likes Us - We Don't Care"“Amy Winehouse was a constant source of material on the comedy programmes of that era. I’m not saying that it was right to criticise her, but it was a different time.”
Balding went way beyond that. Her remarks were unpleasant, revealing a not very appealing side of her character.
I read her autobiography “My Animals And Other Family” about ten years ago. I think she revealed a lot more about herself than she perhaps intended.
It seemed clear to me that her younger brother Andrew was always favoured as the anointed heir to Kingsclere. Balding tells us she was later told that after she was born her maternal grandmother said “Oh, it’s a girl. Never mind, you will just have to keep trying.”
Balding tries to laugh off this incident, along with several others. But I think they hurt.
No need to apologise Ian, or may I call you “Chezza” these days?
She’s obviously had plenty of privilege, though I don’t think life has all been plain sailing for her. I also get the impression she puts the hours in to be knowledgeable about what she’s presenting on.
Clearly you are not an admirer, whereas I think she’s a good sports presenter and don’t mind her. I think one thing we agree on though is that most of her ventures into light entertainment have been misfires!
I’d long since deployed the mute button on sight with her, so thankfully I will never know!
Each to their own.
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It's the "Millwall FC" of Point broadcasts: "No One Likes Us - We Don't Care"If we are talking about pointless presenters, Vanessa Ryle on SSR put herself in the frame tonight.
She described the 7.25 fillies maiden as “trappy”. It had a 4/9 favourite, with the next best at 5/1. That betting suggests it was clear cut, not trappy.
The favourite hacked up by four lengths.
Don’t get me started on Vanessa Ryle, CAS.
She presents ATR’s weekly jumps season review/Road To Cheltenham programme, Off The Fence; I have commented previously on how inept she is.
It’s awful when the interviewer mentions recently deceased family. It’s so deeply personal, seriously out of order to mention it. If the interviewee wants to bring it up then I’m sure they will.
Balding seems alright to me. A decent enough all rounder, probably lacking the in depth knowledge of most sports but knows a bit. There are better presenters but there are worse too.
Was she the host on Have I Got News or a panellist? The host is just reading an autocue, although there’s nothing to stop you refusing if you don’t like the jokes so you are still responsible for what you say.
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