Clare Balding Quotes

People like to think of you as a certain person, or a certain type of person, and they do love to give you a label. We like luggage labels, and we like people labels.

- Clare Balding

You come across words all the time that are everyday sexism. I was described as 'competently bossy' and 'bossily competent' by a male journalist, and I thought, 'Gosh, 'bossy' is never used of a man.'

- Clare Balding

I don't make decisions for money or popularity. I do things because they're right for me, and they're interesting and challenging.

- Clare Balding

Being made to feel like an irrelevant child was probably an asset. Benign negligence is not a bad parental attitude or at least a cross between a benevolent dictator and benign negligence - you should just let kids crack on with it.

- Clare Balding

Having thyroid cancer in 2009 really didn't change my life at all. I wish I could say that I had this epiphany. But I knew I was lucky before that, so it's not like I suddenly realised how lucky I am.

- Clare Balding

I think 'ambitious' is one of those adjectives used for women in a derogatory way.

- Clare Balding

A lot of interviewers are looking for the dark side. They want to know about the depths of your despair and fear.

- Clare Balding

Very rarely will you listen to the radio in a judgmental way, the way you'll watch telly.

- Clare Balding

I cannot be a placard waver for every campaign; that's why I have mostly kept quiet about gay marriage.

- Clare Balding

I hate the fact that public schools like the one I went to have fantastic sports facilities, and state schools don't. That's not fair. That's outrageous.

- Clare Balding

The British have a unique relationship with horses. They are etched into our landscape in chalk, they have been written about, painted, sung about, celebrated and gambled upon for centuries.

- Clare Balding

Swimming and athletics are the big gigs at the Olympic games. Cycling and rowing are pretty big for Britain, but globally, the two big things are athletics and swimming.

- Clare Balding

I have never understood the clamour for waif-like women whose flesh acts merely as a thin veil for their bones - much as I would love to be thinner, I would hate to take it so far that I had no actual shape at all.

- Clare Balding

You hear the word 'cancer,' and you think it is a death sentence. In fact, the shock is the biggest thing about a diagnosis of cancer.

- Clare Balding

I am many things, but one of the things I am is a lesbian.

- Clare Balding

Sports commentating is the answer for a restless brain like mine. I can never get bored because there is an infinite amount to know.

- Clare Balding

I know sport can change the world, and that matters to me.

- Clare Balding

I hate being alone, even for 10 minutes.

- Clare Balding

If you are fearful, a horse will back off. If you are calm and confident, it will come forward. For those who are often flattered or feared, the horse can be a welcome mirror of the best in human nature.

- Clare Balding

I really love good food occasionally, but I need time to enjoy it, and I need to be hungry.

- Clare Balding

If you look back at British history, women being allowed to play sport in schools meant they had to change their clothing. They couldn't be running around in their long skirts and corsets, because you can't.

- Clare Balding

Swimmers provide much healthier role models for teenagers than the catwalk.

- Clare Balding

Dad is a really surprising guy. Every time I think he's going to be useless, he ends up doing something amazing and saying exactly the right thing.

- Clare Balding

I get a lot of abuse on Twitter. It's mostly homophobic, but what can you do? I just either ignore it or laugh.

- Clare Balding

Weekends are a real luxury for me because I'm usually working.

- Clare Balding

The most important quality in a partner is a sense of humour.

- Clare Balding

When you're little, your father is your hero. Mine was. Then it all becomes more complicated.

- Clare Balding

On the beach, I take my clothes off under a towel.

- Clare Balding

I didn't just grow up with horses; I wanted to be one.

- Clare Balding

I've had so many things, good and bad, said about me. I'm way beyond worrying about what people say.

- Clare Balding

I play golf - even though I'm awful at it.

- Clare Balding

Women's sport helps break down a lot of barriers for women in other areas, whether in religion or politics.

- Clare Balding

I've always been fascinated by intelligence and how our brains work, and how they can be improved.

- Clare Balding

Particularly when you're young, you're terribly flattered by people who like you, so you think you love them.

- Clare Balding

Fitting in is boring. But it takes you nearly your whole life to work that out.

- Clare Balding

I find people interesting. People trying hard are interesting. People with a passion are interesting - whether it's old cars or taxidermy or knitting.

- Clare Balding

It had become boring to write: 'I like Clare Balding'. To say: 'I don't like Clare Balding' is much more newsworthy.

- Clare Balding

I want to make the world a better place, for women, mainly.

- Clare Balding

I think I can be spiritual, and I can feel that I want to live well, I want to do things that I'm proud of, and I think that's important. Now, do I need a church to tell me that? Actually, no, I don't.

- Clare Balding

Lots of women don't realize that they're gay until they're grown up.

- Clare Balding

Sport develops your brain. It helps your learning. It's not an add-on at the end of the day.

- Clare Balding

I've never been particularly maternal.

- Clare Balding