Clare Balding and Alice Arnold Confirm W4 Departure
Couple leave for Esher after 20 years in the area
The removal van outside their former Chiswick home last month
May 3, 2026
Broadcaster Clare Balding and her wife, fellow presenter Alice Arnold, have left their long-time home in Chiswick after two decades, beginning a new chapter in the Surrey countryside. A removal van was seen outside their Dukes Avenue house on 22 April, but the couple only confirmed their departure publicly in recent days.
The move marks the end of a significant period in their lives. Clare, 55, and Alice, 63, met at the BBC in 1999 and married in 2015. Both remain busy broadcasters—Balding as one of the BBC’s most recognisable sports presenters and Alice as a host on Mellow Magic—but say their priorities have shifted after twenty years in London.
Speaking to the Mail, they reflected on the change: “London has been wonderful for them. But priorities shift. You start wanting gardens instead of traffic, birdsong instead of sirens.” The couple have moved around 20 miles from Chiswick to Esher, seeking more space and a quieter environment.
The decision has been some time in the making. In August 2025, Clare revealed in an interview with The Times that she and Alice were considering leaving Chiswick, describing a “dog-shaped hole” in their lives following the death of their Tibetan terrier, Archie, in 2020. The couple had walked Archie daily in Chiswick House Gardens.
“We used to walk him in the gardens of Chiswick House near our home pretty much every day,” she said at the time. “We’d meet a bunch of friends at 10am, grab a coffee and take all the dogs together — and that’s the basis of our friendship group in London.”
Clare has often spoken about her love of the area, naming the walk from Chiswick House to Hammersmith Bridge and back via Kew Bridge as her favourite London route. It was also the setting for a major milestone in their relationship: the couple held their civil partnership ceremony at Chiswick House in 2006.
Archie (left) with Alice Arnold and Clare Balding. Picture: Clare Balding/Instagram
The desire for a home with more outdoor space—and a safer environment for a future dog—became a driving factor in their decision to move. “To have a bit more space and protection from the road so it’s a good environment for a dog,” she said previously.
The couple have previously said they hope to welcome a new dog into their lives. “As soon as we’re settled, it’s our plan — probably next spring,” Clare said last year. “I smile at the thought of having a dog back in our lives.”
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