Following their BAFTA win, the team talked about covering LGBTQIA athletes and Clare’s future with the Olympics
BY YASMIN VINCE, IMAGE BY JOHN PHILLIPS/BAFTA/GETTY IMAGES FOR BAFTA
“And the Bafta goes to… Paris 2024 Olympics!” This year’s BAFTA Television Awards saw some great wins for queer shows and performers, including for Best Sports Coverage. The award went to the team behind the BBC’s coverage of the Olympics last summer. Following their win, they talked about how they approached covering this year’s record number of out LGBTQIA athletes.
“We’ve got to make sure that we’re inclusive for all,” said Alastair McIntyre, a BBC Sports editor and spokesperson for the team, in the winner’s press conference. He added that, bearing in mind the government’s position following the UK Supreme Court judgment, the team are aware of how important it is to “get the tone right” and “cover it with fairness”.
A key figure in the Olympic coverage is Clare Balding, who was also at the press conference. The presenter expressed her wish to continue covering the games for “as long as they let me”.
“I love the variety, the challenge that it presents, because you’ve got to take on board a lot of information,” she said. “David Attenborough’s 99 and is still going strong!”
“It’s challenging and I will keep doing it for as long as they let me.”
Clare has covered several Olympics and Paralympics throughout her career and has become almost synonymous with the games in the UK. Following her coverage of the 2012 Games in London, she was awarded a BAFTA special award. That year, the Paralympics also won Best Sport and Live Event.
For her contribution to sports and charity, Clare has been awarded a CBE by the King.
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