Clare Balding: Who alive today do you admire most, and what draws you to them?

The question

Who alive today do you admire most, and what draws you to them?

Originally asked

The Guardian, to a different person each week, The Q&A

The Guardian's Q&A repeatedly uses this prompt, sometimes dropping 'living' while retaining the same comparative judgment.

You answer as yourself. Nobody on FLAPSS answers as anybody else.

Clare Balding

English broadcaster, journalist, TV presenter and author

Recorded said elsewhere, not written here

AP McCoy, the 15 times champion jump jockey. I am constantly in awe of his dedication to his sport.

The Guardian, The Q&A, The Guardian, 15 January 2011 source ↗

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Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen English interior designer and television personality

The missus. She is the glamour mamma mia at the top of our feudal pyramid. We all live together, so she’s a full-time grandmother and rules the roost. How she steered us through lockdown was extraordinary.

Recorded The Guardian, The Q&A, The Guardian, 8 October 2022 source ↗

Dominic West English actor

Stacey Dooley. She does incredible documentaries – in one, she took spoiled British kids to the Philippines to work in a factory. It’s exactly what my kids need to watch.

Recorded The Guardian, The Q&A, The Guardian, 29 December 2018 source ↗

Frank Cottrell-Boyce British screenwriter, novelist and actor

So many. All childcarers and most primary teachers.

Recorded The Guardian, The Q&A, The Guardian, 22 July 2023 source ↗

Amy Poehler

Beyoncé/Beyoncé’s hair person.

Recorded Vanity Fair, The Proust Questionnaire, Vanity Fair, November 2014 source ↗

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Question What disappointment has stayed with you longest? Failure & regret

My A-level grades – but I got over it.

Recorded The Guardian, The Q&A, The Guardian, 15 January 2011 source ↗

Question What period or moment in your life brought you the most joy? Time & hindsight

This may sound nauseating, but I am a very happy person. I love my work, I love my life and I'm told by those who know/love me that it's a bit like living with Tigger. Bloody annoying, I should think.

Recorded The Guardian, The Q&A, The Guardian, 15 January 2011 source ↗

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Nick Robinson, Liz Jones, Anne Robinson, Clive Myrie, John Lewis, Kellie Maloney

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