Clare Balding’s dog has died.
The 49-year-old TV presenter and her newsreader wife Alice Arnold have been left "broken-hearted" after their pet pooch Archie, a Tibetan Terrier, flew off to doggy heaven, and Clare has admitted she is "grateful" for their canine and the "joy he gave us".
She wrote on Instagram: "I am so sad to tell you that our beloved Archie has walked his last walk. @alicearnold1 and I are broken-hearted but grateful to him for the joy he gave us, the places he took us and the friends he brought us. He could be trouble but he was OUR trouble We miss him so much. RIP Archie 2005-2020 (sic)"
Clare is a big animal lover and has co-hosted dog show ‘Crufts Extra’ with comedian Alan Carr.
What’s more, earlier this year, she launched a new podcast, ‘Dogcast with Clare Balding’, to discuss the UK’s love of all things canine.
She said at the time: "This is a wonderful opportunity to talk about dogs to all sorts of experts and dog lovers, who would like to share advice and tips on training and great stories about how dogs have changed their lives.
"Some you’ll have heard of, and some you won’t, but my aim for the podcast is for it to be the perfect companion as you walk your dog."
Clare – whose father Ian Balding is a retired horse racing trainer – is also known for presenting Olympics and horse racing coverage, and titled her 2012 autobiography ‘My Animals and Other Family’.