Clare Balding has been open about her feelings following the death of her beloved dog Archie in 2020, and how that heartbreak has affected her in the years since
Christopher Sharp Trendswatch Reporter
13:34, 16 Oct 2025
Alice Arnold and Clare Balding
The Celebrity Traitors competitor Clare Balding has admitted there’s one thing she hasn’t told her wife Alice Arnold as they plan to welcome a new addition to their family.
Claire, 54, who has been married to Alice since 2015, has previously spoken about how sad they were following the death of their dog, Archie, in 2020.
However, the BBC presenter has now said she is ready to bring a dog back into her life, but there’s a particular bread she wants, and she would like two of them, which Alice is completely unaware of.
Speaking to The Sunday Times Magazine, she confessed the surprising choice. She said: “Our Tibetan terrier, Archie, died five years ago and there’s still a dog shaped hole in our lives.
“When we get another, the first job of the day will be a walk in the gardens at Chiswick House. Dogs bring structure to your day. I’d like a poodle because they are super intelligent. Actually I’d like two, but I haven’t told Alice yet.”
Clare Balding and Alice Arnold(Image: Getty)
Deciding to get a new pet after losing one can be a difficult moment. Some people give it a few months, whilst others wait a few years before bringing another pet home.
Speaking to a pet bereavement expert on Channel 5’s Lost Dog, Found Dog, Clare discussed whether there is a right or wrong time to make the decision.
In response, they said: “It’s different for everyone, but the most important thing is, it’s what’s best for the animal you do get.
“If you’re in a unit that’s made up of more than one person, you involve everybody in that decision because it’s so so important.
“And what we often hear is that people try and replace [the dog] with the same breed, the same name, please don’t because every dog is unique and has its own character.”
Clare Balding
Clare previously discussed her dilemma about finding the right time to get a new dog, while juggling work commitments and a building project at the home she shares with Alice.
Appearing on BBC Sounds’ Alright Pet? podcast last summer, she said: “Here’s the thing about responsible dog ownership, I’m going to be away all this summer doing the Olympics and Paralympics, this is not the time to bring a dog into my life, our life.
“And, we are also doing a big sort of house building project, so that we can move somewhere where we’ve got a bit more space, we’re not close to a road, and we can have doors open all the time. It’s killing me not to have a dog right now, but I know it’s the right thing to wait.”
