Clarke earned an English Literature degree from the University of London and began his journalistic career with local newspapers in Somerset and Bristol.
He started his sports broadcasting career with Radio Trent in the East Midlands before moving into TV.
[citation needed] Clarke joined ITV Sport in 1991, as a reporter for the Saint and Greavsie television programme.
He was a roving reporter with the England national football team at the 2006 and 2010 FIFA World Cup, and UEFA Euro 2012.
He is the son of Jane Harris and film director Alan Clarke (1935–90), whose work includes Scum, Made in Britain and The Firm.