Claudia Winkleman hails Crufts presenting debut as ‘best day of my life’

Claudia Winkleman has made her debut presenting Crufts, and said of the event: “I quite liked my wedding, this is better.”

Coverage of the world famous dog show began on Channel 4 on Thursday, with Winkleman describing it as “the best day of my life”.

The first day of the show saw her join in with the Southern Golden Retriever Display Team as they rehearsed a choreographed routine.

Winkleman told fellow presenter Clare Balding: “This is Honey, and we have bonded.

“And I, Clare, I’m just going to be honest with you, have had the best day of my life.”

“Are you actually going to be performing with them?” Balding asked.

“Clare, are you ready to be both appalled and alarmed?” Winkleman replied.

Winkleman then began the synchronised routine with a long line of golden retrievers and their handlers, with the TV star struggling to keep up or get Honey to carry out her commands.

“I think it’s safe to say there’s work to be done, Claud,” Balding told her.

Other highlights of the first day of the show, which is being held at Birmingham’s NEC, included a dog stealing Balding’s mobile phone.

Balding was interviewing double Olympic gold-winning skeleton racer Matt Weston, when Canadian Inuit dog Kuku got his paws on her device.

Britain’s Got Talent presenter Amanda Holden also spoke to Winkleman at the show.

As The Traitors host mentioned that she gives her dog, Skip, a “French kiss”, Amanda countered: “I bathe with my dog”.

Holden also said she sometimes chooses to sleep in the same bed as her dogs, much to her husband Chris Hughes’ annoyance.

“If he sees the dogs, he goes in the spare room,” Holden said.

“He can’t sleep with them there, so I often choose to sleep with the dogs.”

Coverage of Crufts continues on Channel 4 until the last day of the show on Sunday.