Bafta honour for Balding

Bafta honour for Balding NEWS

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Clare Balding will receive a special award for outstanding achievement in factual presenting at this year's TV Baftas, organisers have announced.

Graham Norton will present the 12th May awards at London's Royal Festival Hall. In an interview with the BBC this week, 'delighted' a Claire Balding sated that she 'may not stop smiling until the night'. TV committee chairman Andrew Newman said her work covering London 2012 - on the BBC for the Olympics and on Channel 4 for the Paralympics - had made her 'a national treasure' Newman commented in interview that her:

'warmth and charisma helped bring the country together as we celebrated in Team GB and Paralympic GB's success...She is a trusted and intelligent live presenter with an ability to transcend genre and we're delighted to honour her contribution to television,' he added.

Balding has been a successful sports commentator for the past thirteen years and Bafta have claimed her award has been given in appreciation of her incredible dedication to presenting across entertainment and sporting events. Previous recipients of the factual presenting special award include Jon Snow, Andrew Marr, Jeremy Paxman and Kate Adie.

Claire Balding is also known for presenting horse racing coverage on Channel 4 as well as series including BBC One's 'Britain's Brightest' and Radio 4 walking programme 'Ramblings'. Her first book, 'My Animals and Other Family' - based on her experiences growing up 'in a rather unusual household' - was a bestseller that won biography of the year at the National Book Awards.

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