Wimbledon’s BBC presenter Clare Balding has opened up about the ongoing setback in her life, with her spouse Alice Arnold. Last year, the 54-year-old said not having a dog at home was “killing” her, following the sad loss of her and Alice’s Tibetan terrier Archie in 2020, after 15 years.

While some owners deal with grief by taking on another pet, Clare said she wasn’t in the position to do so for various reasons.

Speaking on the Alright, Pet? podcast, live from the Good Woof festival, she said last summer: “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.”

Clare went on to say that once the project was complete, she and Alice will then look into getting another dog.

“It’s killing me not to have a dog right now, but I know it’s the right thing to wait,” she added.

During a recent episode of her Channel 5 show Lost Dog, Found Dog, the broadcaster caught up with a pet loss specialist, who shared what she believes is the right thing to do after a pet has died.

Asked whether or not a grieving owner should replace their pet soon after death, she 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 it’s own character.”

She went on to urge people to also make sure that they’re in the right head space to look after a dog, following their sad loss.

Earlier this year while a guest on Good Morning Britain, Clare revealed that she and Alice were now “looking” for a new dog, though didn’t want to rush the process.

The broadcaster is currently focused on presenting the BBC coverage live from Wimbledon, and in September she’ll also be on tour across the country to promote her new book.

Clare and Isa Guha lead the daily Wimbledon coverage on TV across BBC One, BBC Two, and BBC iPlayer.

She said of her involvement with the tournament: “I love being part of such a good team and learning from them about the new players who stepping into the void left by Federer, Nadal and Murray.

“I’m excited to see how Jack Draper can progress and of course see the latest instalment of the Alcaraz/Sinner rivalry. Coco Gauff burst into our consciousness at only 15 when she beat Venus Williams on her Wimbledon debut.

“I’d love to see her reach her first final here and ultimately lift the title. It would be great to see a good run from Katie Boulter and Emma Raducanu.”