Claire Balding to replace Aled Jones on Good Morning Sunday

245

Comments

  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 15
    Forum Member
    Mickey S wrote: »
    You guess?

    And then you go on to criticise the BBC for doing something even though you admit you don't know the facts?

    Welcome to Digital Spy.



    I actually run an Unofficial Fan Club dedicated to Aled, so I am lucky enough to have contact with both Aled and his management team. The information I posted came direct from his management team, who stated that Aled did NOT want to leave GMS, his contract was simply not renewed by the BBC.
  • occyoccy Posts: 64,627
    Forum Member
    ✭✭
    I actually run an Unofficial Fan Club dedicated to Aled, so I am lucky enough to have contact with both Aled and his management team. The information I posted came direct from his management team, who stated that Aled did NOT want to leave GMS, his contract was simply not renewed by the BBC.

    Why? Was it cause he's with ITV Daybreak?
  • 80sfan80sfan Posts: 18,522
    Forum Member
    ✭✭
    TUC wrote: »
    The question of any declared interest in spiritual matters doesn't appear to be one of the boxes.

    I'm sure Ms Balding is a big believer in the mighty £ sign seeing as she'll present anything going it seems ;)

    I can't stand her. Aled was perfect in that slot... Warm, seemingly caring and genuinely interested
  • jocknrolljocknroll Posts: 47
    Forum Member
    The ratio of men to women on any station is irrelevant. It's about who is best for the job.

    I like Clare as a presenter/broadcaster and appreciate she is very much flavour of the month after a great Olympics/Paralympics but I hope she isn't over-exposed or we'll be sick of her by Christmas.
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 15
    Forum Member
    occy wrote: »
    Why? Was it cause he's with ITV Daybreak?


    After 6 very successfull years on GMS, I think one can assume it was because Aled joined Daybreak that his contract wasnt renewed, but seeing as that is down to the BBC, I guess we will never know the real reason.
  • 80sfan80sfan Posts: 18,522
    Forum Member
    ✭✭
    jocknroll wrote: »
    hope she isn't over-exposed or we'll be sick of her by Christmas.

    Bet she'll be presenting from The Lord Mayor's Show in a few weeks time, she likes that gig.
  • pakokelso93pakokelso93 Posts: 11,018
    Forum Member
    ✭✭
    jocknroll wrote: »
    The ratio of men to women on any station is irrelevant. It's about who is best for the job.

    I like Clare as a presenter/broadcaster and appreciate she is very much flavour of the month after a great Olympics/Paralympics but I hope she isn't over-exposed or we'll be sick of her by Christmas.

    Typical British comment. Love someone who does well and when they do other bits and bob's they get hated at.

    Clare is top class. Deserves all the work she does/gets.
  • 80sfan80sfan Posts: 18,522
    Forum Member
    ✭✭
    Typical British comment. Love someone who does well and when they do other bits and bob's they get hated at.

    Clare is top class. Deserves all the work she does/gets.

    I don't think it's that fact that is getting people.

    Ms Balding is a sports presenter and had built up a reputation for sports presenting. Now she's fronting a specialist religious programme... The few there are out there. It seems to me like someone has just plucked her name out of the air & she's been offered a fair few quid & there you are. Out goes Aled... What makes Ms Balding the right person for this show? What experience does she have presenting this subject?

    What next? Cooking shows? Make-overs? Loose Women? Big Brother? She does need to be careful to remain credible
  • scorerscorer Posts: 5,004
    Forum Member
    80sfan wrote: »
    Ms Balding is a sports presenter and had built up a reputation for sports presenting. Now she's fronting a specialist religious programme... The few there are out there. It seems to me like someone has just plucked her name out of the air & she's been offered a fair few quid & there you are. Out goes Aled... What makes Ms Balding the right person for this show? What experience does she have presenting this subject?

    What next? Cooking shows? Make-overs? Loose Women? Big Brother? She does need to be careful to remain credible

    Des Lynam is/was a sports presenter but he presented other things such as Countdown, Holiday and presented on the radio.

    John Inverdale has hosted things other than sports shows like Radio 2's drive time show.

    So why should Clare be any different.
  • BingethinkBingethink Posts: 4,257
    Forum Member
    ✭✭✭
    Yes, her success is built on her abilities as a broadcaster to bring specialist content to general audiences - she's a really natural explainer.

    She' also a terrific interviewer - her radio work on Ramblings is a good example of this.
  • Mapperley RidgeMapperley Ridge Posts: 9,922
    Forum Member
    TUC wrote: »
    Claire Balding who was busy using four letter words on BBC1 last night. Clearly she"s perfect for the job. Well, she is a currently fashionable gay, female television presenter which in the BBC's eyes hits all the right boxes. The question of any declared interest in spiritual matters doesn't appear to be one of the boxes.

    Surely if you want an inclusive faith based programme - which encompasses many different beliefs and religions - the best person for the job is someone of no particular faith, or with no strong views towards, say Christianity?
  • Mapperley RidgeMapperley Ridge Posts: 9,922
    Forum Member
    AL89 wrote: »
    here we go again a successful TV presenter on Radio 2.
    do you think the presenters on local radio may as well give up any hope of ever working on Radio 2

    Successful TV presenter who also has a strong background in radio. Just like Gloria Hunniford, Michael Aspel etc...
  • jocknrolljocknroll Posts: 47
    Forum Member
    Typical British comment. Love someone who does well and when they do other bits and bob's they get hated at.

    Clare is top class. Deserves all the work she does/gets.

    "Typical British comment"? What is that supposed to mean?

    I've made no comment about the amount of work she's getting and I certainly don't hate her. I say good luck to her on that count because I like her style. I was making a general comment about the public at large getting sick of people who are suddently "on everything". Lord knows we get that already with the number of comedians who seem to be on every panel show going.
  • AlanOAlanO Posts: 3,773
    Forum Member
    ✭✭✭
    Which will make them look even more bigoted, if that's possible.

    I take it the irony that you've just made quite a bigoted statement there hasn't been lost on you?

    Why is it nowadays that a reasonable, legitimate, difference of opinion is automatically cast as that person or organisation being a bigot? Whatever happened to tolerance and allowing people to hold a different viewpoint to that of your own?

    I have to say it's one of the less attractive facets of modern life in Britain nowadays.

    The Daily Mail is no more bigoted as a newspaper than the Daily Mirror or The Guardian.

    Keeping on-topic though - I think Clare Balding is a curious choice for GMS - it has traditionally had a presenter who has had a 'faith' of some description - not something which I've ever seen Ms Balding profess to have. If anything it feels like the BBC are once again trying to marginalise or trivialise religious programming in this case by selecting a presenter for whom this seems an unnatural programme to host.
  • BingethinkBingethink Posts: 4,257
    Forum Member
    ✭✭✭
    AlanO wrote: »
    I think Clare Balding is a curious choice for GMS - it has traditionally had a presenter who has had a 'faith' of some description - not something which I've ever seen Ms Balding profess to have.

    But you don't seem to know if Claire Balding is religious or not - maybe she is.
  • AlanOAlanO Posts: 3,773
    Forum Member
    ✭✭✭
    Bingethink wrote: »
    But you don't seem to know if Claire Balding is religious or not - maybe she is.

    The point I was making is it has usually had a presenter who has openly professed to having a faith e.g. Roger Royle, Don Maclean.

    I've never seen Ms Balding express this in any interviews she's done, nor does Google (usually the source for everything) seem to help on this occasion - perhaps in the light of this announcement, all may become clear?

    Given the nature of the programme, it seems a curious choice given the programme's 'slant' - it would be similarly odd to have appointed somebody who was a stated atheist, don't you think?
  • Mapperley RidgeMapperley Ridge Posts: 9,922
    Forum Member
    AlanO wrote: »
    Given the nature of the programme, it seems a curious choice given the programme's 'slant' - it would be similarly odd to have appointed somebody who was a stated atheist, don't you think?

    No I don't, as it happens. A stated athiest, whatever that is, might offer a detached and more balanced approach to coverage than, say, a born again Christian.

    And I consider that to be - in your words - a reasonable difference of opinion, as opposed to people judging Clare on her suitability to host GMS before she's even started.
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 3,048
    Forum Member
    ✭✭✭
    Shrewn wrote: »
    She's doing the gee gees for C4 from January, busy weekends for Ms B

    Does the radio show have to be live? Clare does a series on Radio 4 "Ramblings" and Radio 5's Wimbledon coverage.

    I wonder if Aled is still keeping his Radio Wales programme?
  • BingethinkBingethink Posts: 4,257
    Forum Member
    ✭✭✭
    AlanO wrote: »

    Given the nature of the programme, it seems a curious choice given the programme's 'slant' - it would be similarly odd to have appointed somebody who was a stated atheist, don't you think?

    Yes, it would certainly be a change of direction to appoint a committed atheist to host Good Morning Sunday.

    But I don't see anything odd about appointing someone who hasn't made a big deal about their faith before.
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 3,048
    Forum Member
    ✭✭✭
    The BBC didnt renew Aled's contract for GMS, that is why Claire is taking over. Aled didnt want to leave, but I guess the powers that be at the BBC, decided that because he has moved over to ITV to do Daybreak, that they wouldnt offer him a new contract, which I find really petty of them. Other presenters such as Alan Titchmarsh work for ITV, and yet hes allowed to still do his radio programme for the Beeb, so why cant Aled..

    Most of Alan's work for now seems to be with ITV and after "Melodies For You" was dropped, I think he joined Classic FM.
  • AlanOAlanO Posts: 3,773
    Forum Member
    ✭✭✭
    Bingethink wrote: »
    Yes, it would certainly be a change of direction to appoint a committed atheist to host Good Morning Sunday.

    But I don't see anything odd about appointing someone who hasn't made a big deal about their faith before.

    I didn't say 'made a big deal', what I did say is that they have professed to have a faith - to my mind the difference is tp have professed a faith it to have stated that they have a faith and it is of importance to them. The other is using it at ever available opportunity.

    I think the likes of Don Maclean and Roger Royle fell firmly into the former category.
  • AlanOAlanO Posts: 3,773
    Forum Member
    ✭✭✭
    No I don't, as it happens. A stated athiest, whatever that is, might offer a detached and more balanced approach to coverage than, say, a born again Christian.

    And I consider that to be - in your words - a reasonable difference of opinion, as opposed to people judging Clare on her suitability to host GMS before she's even started.

    No - most would actually be hostile, rather than balanced as you can see from the frequent pronouncements of the National Secular Society. The only one I can think of who would be balanced is David Starkey - but I suspect he would feel GMS to be intellectually beneath him - and he'd probably be right.
  • BingethinkBingethink Posts: 4,257
    Forum Member
    ✭✭✭
    AlanO wrote: »
    I didn't say 'made a big deal', what I did say is that they have professed to have a faith - to my mind the difference is tp have professed a faith it to have stated that they have a faith and it is of importance to them. The other is using it at ever available opportunity.

    I think the likes of Don Maclean and Roger Royle fell firmly into the former category.

    What I don't understand is why you assume that Clare Balding has not professed to having a faith, or that it is important to her. I would imagine that, if she is presenting this show, she's probably been asked about just that.

    It's obvious that "Good Morning Sunday" isn't an intellectual quest into the philosophy of spirituality. It's a soft and comforting old-style Radio 2 "God slot". It's not the place for hard-headed questioning of religion, so demands a Harry Secombe, not a Richard Dawkins.
  • Mapperley RidgeMapperley Ridge Posts: 9,922
    Forum Member
    Where did I suggest that an athiest - or someone of no particularly strong faith - would also need to be a paid up member of the National Secular Society. As others have suggested, just because Clare Balding hasn't come out as a flag waving Anglian, it doesn't mean she is (a) without faith or (b) somehow less qualified to present a religious programme.
  • mine's a pintmine's a pint Posts: 779
    Forum Member
    ✭✭
    tezenis wrote: »
    Because it would be ridiculous to give the gig to a radio presenter wouldn't it?

    It seems anybody off the telly can get a job on Radio 2 as opposed to an established radio presenter .
Sign In or Register to comment.