Clare Balding shares the secrets to her 24-year relationship with Alice Arnold as she reveals it was NOT love at first sight and how her wife helped her come out as gay

Clare Balding revealed that 'communication' is the key to her 24-year relationship with wife Alice Arnold as she opened up about their relationship. The broadcaster, 55, first met journalist Alice, 63, in 1999 at a BBC event but it was not love at first sight, with Alice perceiving Clare as a 'cocky little upstart'.Recalling the rocky start to their relationship, Clare laughed that Alice's thought was 'so rude' and added: 'She had a list of reasons not to get involved with me stuck on the fridge.'Alice had been insistent that she didn't want to date a fellow broadcaster, and was also discouraged by the fact that Clare was not publicly out as gay. While Clare had disclosed the news with some loved ones, it took her years to come out to her colleagues, with Clare explaining: 'I didn't want to be judged negatively.'I grew up in an era where it was very difficult to be proud of being a lesbian. You were conditioned to be ashamed of it.' Clare Balding shared the secrets to her 24-year relationship with Alice Arnold as she revealed it was not love at first sight and how her wife helped her come out as gayYet Alice inspired her to come out because she was 'so confident and refused to be ashamed', with Clare telling The Sunday Times: 'She just said, "Look, it's simple — if we're going to be together, you've got to be out and we will be out".' Clare came out publicly in 2003 and three years later she and Alice entered a civil partnership. In 2015, a year after same-sex marriage was legalised, they married.Describing herself as being the 'Labrador puppy' to Alice's calmer nature, she went on to note: 'Apart from being incredibly happy, we've made each other stronger.' While Clare is not usually one to broadcast her personal life, she opted to appear on Gogglebox with Alice to help challenge perceptions of same-sex relationships.The couple joined the cast of the popular Channel 4 series back in 2021 and have become fan favourites with viewers.Discussing how it has helped move the conversation on same-sex relationships forward she told Saga Magazine: 'It's great being able to do that programme together.'There is real impact in showing that two women can live very happily together.'She added: 'Of course, in changing the status of single-sex relationships, politics matters, law matters, marches matter, but there is soft power in showing people what our relationship is about, what it looks like and what it sounds like.'We get an extraordinary amount of positive feedback across all age groups for that.' While Clare is not usually one to broadcast her personal life, she opted to appear on Gogglebox with Alice to help challenge perceptions of same-sex relationships Earlier this year Clare shared her hopes of slowing down and being more 'present' at home with her wife, following her 30-year career in broadcasting.She kick-started her career as a trainee with BBC National Radio in 1994 and made her TV debut covering Royal Ascot a year later.In the many years that followed, Clare has fronted major sporting and royal events – from Wimbledon to the Olympics.She told the Daily Mail: 'I do far less work now than I did in my forties, thirties and twenties. But I hope it's better quality as I work smarter and I can combine things. If I've got to do book events, I'll tie it in with something else.'I wish I'd learned the art of enjoying the moment sooner, that is something that I am really so much better at now.'And taking time and appreciating what's around me and wanting to be home more, to be honest.'I mean, I love my work and I love the variety of my work, but I also am very appreciative and better at being present.'Maybe that's something that always comes with age, you'd be a pretty unusual teenager if you could do that, I think.'When she does get to take a moment for herself, Clare enjoys playing golf with her wife Alice, walking, going to Pilates and reading plenty of books.'The sun is shining today, I'm going to make sure I'm out,' she insisted. 'I'm literally about to go and play nine holes of golf because I can fit that in between other things.'