BBC commentator Claire Balding under fire for lewd and inappropriate comments at Olympic Games

With the Paris Olympic Games barely a week old, BBC presenter Claire Balding has found herself in hot water following some questionable remarks made during the quadrennial event.

During an interview with British swimming icon Rebecca Adlington, Balding stated her shock at finding out the retired star had never been visited by an Olympic swimmer while at school. Balding's tone and genuine surprise at Adlington's admission rubbed several fans the wrong way. Many attributed this to her upper class upbringing, highlighting how she would not understand the plight of everyday people.

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Balding makes risqué remark at Olympics

This won't be the first time Balding has been criticized by fans, as the outspoke analyst has found herself in their crosshairs due to her perceived lack of professionalism and brash manner during her tenure with the BBC. Prior to her latest incident, Balding was also called out for her performance at the Wimbledon Championships.

During the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo, the 53-year old presenter was interviewing British swimmer Matt Richards. During the interview, Balding told Richards his "third leg was just phenomenal," leading to the swimmer taking a few moments to compose himself before responding. This offended several viewers, although some found the comment amusing.

However, many spectators did not find her performance at last year's Wimbledon very amusing. Balding took over from long-time presenter Sue Barker, and was lambasted for her interview style and abrupt questioning.

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Furthermore, another incident occurred when Balding and the broadcaster got their wires crossed instructing those at home to switch from BBC One to BBC Two to catch the end of a match between Jasmine Paolini and Petra Kvitova. But the match was nowhere to be seen, with BBC Two instead showing a highlights show of that day's action, rather than the match in question. Although Balding was not to blame, it did leave her and her colleague embarrassed while fans were left puzzled.