BBC Wimbledon host Clare Balding has revealed an 'absolutely horrifying' incident from her school days when she was caught shoplifting, a moment she described as deeply shameful.
Shoplifting at Boarding School
Speaking on the Rosebud Podcast with Gyles Brandreth in 2024, the 55-year-old presenter recalled the 'awful' experience during her early years at boarding school. 'I got into a lot of trouble when I was young. When I first went off to boarding school, I think I felt an enormous pressure to be one of the crowd,' she said.
'So I think I was very susceptible to peer pressure, so getting in with the 'in-gang' required doing quite daring things, one of which was shoplifting. And of course, I got caught, and I got suspended at only the beginning of my second year at school.'
The Shame of Getting Caught
Balding described the aftermath as 'so shameful,' adding: 'I remember that being so shameful, because also when I rang home my parents weren't there. So Vicky, who was my father's terrifying secretary - the scariest woman... Think of all those films. She came to get me. That was absolutely horrifying and the shame of it... I thought I was going to be expelled. So that was awful.'
The daughter of racehorse trainer Ian and Emma Balding, Clare turned over a new leaf after the incident. She went on to thrive at Downe House School near Thatcham, Berkshire, making the first team for lacrosse and being voted in as Head Girl. She noted that being named Head Girl was a 'big deal' because teachers voted for the student they wanted for the prestigious role.
Career and Personal Life
The podcast episode was a Valentine's Day special, also featuring Balding's wife, radio host and journalist Alice Arnold. The couple had a civil partnership in 2006 and later married in a private ceremony in 2015.
Balding has been a mainstay on screens for over 30 years, hosting across BBC Sport, Channel 4, and BT Sport. She is covering Wimbledon today (July 3) on the BBC, continuing her glittering television career.
