Alan Carr is to present this year's 'Crufts' with Clare Balding.

Alan Carr

Alan Carr

The 40-year-old comedian will join the 46-year-old presenter, who made her debut hosting the pooch contest in 2004, for the new afternoon-time Channel 4 show, which kicks off on Thursday (09.03.17) from 4pm.

Clare told The Sun newspaper: "We've got new afternoon shows now - they will be fun.

"I'm working with Alan Carr on the afternoon shows then I'll do the evening shows, which will be brilliant. Everyone loves Crufts."

Clare - who currently presents BBC Sport, Channel 4 and BT Sport - has also teased that she is working on another TV project, a short on women's soccer and a second children's tome to follow 'The Racehorse Who Wouldn't Gallop'.

She said: "I've just finished the first draft - it's the follow-up to The Racehorse Who Wouldn't Gallop.

"I'm also working on a documentary about women's football."

The unlikely pair share at least one quality in common as Clare - who is married to newsreader Alice Arnold - previously said she doesn't care about other people's opinions.

She said: "I'm not interested in what other people think. But I don't think anything about me surprises others, Alice always tells me I'm an open book.

"I don't look at anything about myself [online]. You'd be mad to do so! You have to learn to protect yourself from what's out there."