AS SHE ENTERS THE FAMOUS TENT, ALISON HAMMOND TALKS SWEET TREATS, SINGLE LIFE AND HOW IT ALL BEGAN
WORDS: SARAH MORTON PHOTOS: MARK HAYMAN/FABULOUS/ NEWS LICENSING, NATIONAL PICTURES, REX/SHUTTERSTOCK
ICING ON THE CAKE
From Big Brother wannabe to TV royalty, Alison Hammond’s meteoric rise has been spectacular. Over the last two decades, the bubbly Brummie has won the hearts of fans across the country, thanks to her humour, warmth and talent.
Now, having appeared on This Morning since 2002, as well as some of our most popular shows, such as Strictly Come Dancing and I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here!, Alison is the new co-host of The Great British Bake Off. Replacing Matt Lucas, Alison will join Noel Fielding, alongside Paul Hollywood and Prue Leith, to sort the soggy bottoms from the star bakers.
“I was really chuffed,” Alison says of landing the coveted role. “I didn’t realise how much I wanted it until I had to audition with Noel. My son was really excited as well, as he loves Bake Off.”
But with filming now in the bag, Alison admits she fell foul of the free cakes on offer in the famous tent.
“I’ve put on a stone,” she reveals. “I couldn’t believe it. I am literally going running tomorrow!”
Since she burst onto our screens on Big Brother in 2002, Alison’s star has well and truly been on the rise. This year, the 48-year-old hosted the BAFTAs with Richard E Grant, cementing her position as one of the UK’s most in demand TV personalities.
But it hasn’t always been easy for the lovable lady. In fact, Alison only went into the Big Brother house in hopes of winning the prize money to pay off a debt.
“I owed like £3,000, which I was traumatised by at the time,” she told the Table Manners podcast. “I just couldn’t make that debt go down. So I thought it would be a good idea to win £70,000 on a TV show.”
Working as a holiday rep in Tunisia at the time, she left her job to appear on the show – but ended up losing to pal Kate Lawler.
“I was devastated,” Alison admitted. “I was enjoying myself and was really upset when I had to leave.”
Thankfully, her tears turned to triumph when ITV bosses, impressed by her naturally funny personality and on-camera presence, recruited her to join This Morning as a roving reporter.
Over the next few years, Alison charmed A-listers such as The Rock, Mariah Carey and Harrison Ford, who she managed to make laugh, despite his reputation as a hard-to-please interviewee. It’s no wonder Alison, alongside Dermot O’Leary, was chosen to replace
