Clare Balding
I’ve sometimes been accused of over-reacting but I’m glad my Saturday afternoon apoplexy over BBC racing presenter Clare Balding’s case of ‘foot in mouth’ after the Grand National was shared by others.
Her insulting interview with winning jockey Liam Treadwell, who’d just rode Mon Mome to a stunning 100-1 success at Aintree, prompted nearly 1,500 complaints to the Beeb and Balding has suitably apologised.
A former female champion jockey herself, she urged the 23-year-old to “give us a big grin.” He smiled, but kept his lips firmly closed. “No, no, let’s see your teeth. ‘He hasn’t got the best teeth in the world,'” she told us, “but you can afford to go and get them done now if you like.”
Patently embarrassed, the poor fella passed it off at the time, saying it might bring him bad luck. “Of course it was the wrong thing for her to say,” he said after she texted her regrets.
Bet she wishes now she kept her big mouth shut instead of forcing him to open his.
