Clare Balding says she spent so much time around dogs as a child she started to believe she was one
TV’s Clare Balding says she spent so much time around dogs as a child she started to believe she was one.
The presenter, 52, says they influenced her life from a very early age.
She told the Wine Times podcast: “I did think I was a dog because I was left with the dogs quite a lot.
“I may have genuinely believed that Candy, our boxer, was my mother.
“I used to write letters that were ostensibly to my parents but really were for my dogs.”
The presenter believes the world of work and education would be a happier place if more dogs were involved
She explained: “I genuinely think offices would be much happier if they were dog-friendly and I think schools really benefit from having, quite often, a reading dog.
“The dog doesn’t read but they’ll listen to children reading and just lay down.”
Clare, the daughter of racehorse trainer Ian, made her name as a sports presenter but has recently fronted Channel 5’s three-part Live: Lost Dogs which reunited strays with their owners.