Latest news with #PasturesNew
Daily Mirror
22-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
Celebrity Traitors star spills on 'brutal' filming and cast's biggest challenge
Celebrity Traitors is set to see a host of famous faces, including Clare Balding, Kate Garraway, Nick Mohammed, Charlotte Church and Tameka Empson, play the game A contestant from the upcoming Celebrity Traitors has admitted that the experience was "brutal". They opened up about the Traitors spin-off following the line-up being confirmed after production began on the reality TV show. Clare Balding, 54, said she found the BBC show "challenging" as it meant her friendships with co-stars like former Olympic diver Tom Daley went "out the window". They are among the 19 celebrities who have taken part in the first series. Speaking candidly at the Goodwoof event while promoting her new novel Pastures New, Clare admitted: "It is so intense, and you get completely obsessed with the game." Teasing friendships don't always hold up amidst the gameplay, she said: "Obviously, I knew quite a lot of them before I went in, but the friendships you had before go out the window!" The broadcaster continued: "That, for me, is very challenging because I like to be friends with everybody! It's brutal, but I think I'm glad I did it. It will make good television, and there are some really strong moments." Clare and other celebrities, like presenter Stephen Fry, actor Celia Imrie, comedian Nick Mohammed and singer Charlotte Church, will be seen playing the beloved game at Ardross Castle in the Scottish Highlands. On the show, hosted by Claudia Winkleman, they will compete to win a cash prize of up to £100,000 for a charity of their choice. Praising Nick, she revealed: "There are some people who are so clever. I mean, Nick Mohammed from Ted Lasso, he can solve problems and puzzles in like four and a half seconds. He's amazing." Crufts presenter Clare also shared her delight over spending time with other contestants during the filming of Celebrity Traitors. She gushed: "It was lovely to get more time to hang out with people like Stephen Fry, Celia Imrie, Charlotte Church, who's an absolute superstar, and a really cool young singer called Cat Burns - I would not have met her and Ruth Cobb, who's an actress, in any other situation, and I loved that. Yeah, it was great fun." The line-up for Celebrity Traitors was announced earlier this month. Clare, Tom, Stephen, Celia, Charlotte, Cat and Ruth are among the 19 celebrities who are involved in the spin-off, which is set to be broadcast by the BBC later this year. Comedian Alan Carr, filmmaker David Olusoga and former rugby union player Joe Marler will also compete. Other celebrities in the line-up for the show include comedian Joe Wilkinson, presenters Jonathan Ross and Kate Garraway. They will compete against the likes of comedian Lucy Beaumont and actor Mark Bonnar, too. Content creator Niko Omilana, singer-songwriter Paloma Faith and EastEnders star Tameka Empson are also in the line-up. Host Claudia commented: "We're incredibly lucky these brilliant people have said yes. I'd love to say we'll take it easy on them and they'll just wander round the castle and eat toast for a couple of weeks but that would be a lie." Celebrity Traitors is scheduled to air in the autumn on BBC One and BBC iPlayer.
Leader Live
15-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Leader Live
TV presenter Clare Balding ‘delighted' to announce debut novel Pastures New
The 54-year-old's book will tell the story of Alex, a journalist who has 'perfected the art of dodging responsibility' until an unexpected letter turns her life upside down, when it is published by HarperCollins on September 12. Speaking about the book, Balding said: 'It has taken a few years and a lot of angst to produce Pastures New, my first novel, but I'm so delighted that HarperCollins will be publishing it this autumn. 'In writing it, I've tried to honestly represent the complicated relationship between family members, the way love can pop up in the most surprising places, the beauty of our landscape and the kindness of small communities. 'This is Alex's story – one of finding meaning in life and finding a group of people that help her feel she belongs.' The book will see Alex inherit a crumbling sheep farm in Wales as she sets out to uncover the truth behind her mysterious inheritance. Balding, who has presented coverage of the Olympic Games and Wimbledon tennis tournament for the BBC, published her autobiography, My Animals And Other Family, in September 2012, while a second non-fiction book, Walking Home: My Family And Other Ramblings, was published in September 2014. Lynne Drew, general fiction publisher at HarperCollins, said: 'I've been a fan of Clare's voice ever since reading her funny, honest and brilliant memoir, and the minute we started working together on Pastures New I rejoiced that she had brought that same astute and entertaining storytelling to her fiction debut. 'Her characters shine off the page, and this warm and witty read full of honesty and heart will utterly delight her many fans.' Balding herself grew up in the Hampshire countryside as the daughter of racehorse trainer Peter Hastings-Bass, and has gone on to present the BBC's Sports Personality Of The Year and Channel 4's coverage of the Crufts dog show.
Evening Standard
15-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Evening Standard
TV presenter Clare Balding ‘delighted' to announce debut novel Pastures New
Lynne Drew, general fiction publisher at HarperCollins, said: 'I've been a fan of Clare's voice ever since reading her funny, honest and brilliant memoir, and the minute we started working together on Pastures New I rejoiced that she had brought that same astute and entertaining storytelling to her fiction debut.
