Fate of Clare Balding’s For The Love of Dogs rival show revealed after it was forced to change its name mid-series
THE fate of Clare Balding’s hit Channel 5 dog programme has been revealed.
She is currently in Paris to front coverage of the 2024 Olympics for the BBC, but her other projects rumble on.
One of these is her Channel 5 show which was originally titled, Lost Dogs Live, that looked to reunite missing and stolen dogs with their owners.
It was seen as a rival to ITV, which has aired the popular programme, For the Love of Dogs since 2012, and is now hosted by Alison Hammond.
The show attempted to rally the support of the nation as it provided a new way to celebrate the UK’s love of pet pooches.
In the first series, Clare, 53, tried to track down a string of missing pets that had been away from their homes.
They were missing for weeks, months, and sometimes even years in a few cases.
However, the commercial network changed the programme in a huge way for the last episode of the debut series.
Midway through the run, it was renamed and given the new title, ‘Lost Dog, Found Dog with Clare Balding’.
Now the commercial broadcaster has decided to give the show a second series, but with a huge format change.
In the shake-up, the follow-up instalment of the hit programme will be pre-recorded, as bosses decided to ditch the live element.
It also focuses on ways in which dog owners can keep their beloved canine companions safe.
At the time of the first series, Clare gushed about the new and innovative show.
She explained: “Our dogs are not just pets, they’re part of the family and if one goes missing, it’s a traumatic experience.
“With Channel 5 leading the charge, I’m looking forward to helping reunite owners with their dogs and to share tips on how to keep our animals safe.”
The second series of Lost Dog, Found Dog will air on Channel 5 and the first series is available to stream on My5.