Alison Hammond has again dressed a reported 'feud' on This Morning and has hilariously shared how she often likes to add fuel to the rumour mill's fire. The presenter has spent 20 years as a regular on the ITV daytime show, often being sent out to play games with members of the public and interviewing some of Hollywood's biggest stars.
But Alison became the official host of Friday's This Morning alongside Dermot O'Leary after taking over the reins from Eamonn Holmes and Ruth Langsford in January last year. There have been rumours that the pair weren't gelling behind the scenes but have since gone on to disprove those claims. In June this year, a spokesman for This Morning were forced to confirm that the duo have become firm friends - and even socialise away from work together.
A This Morning spokesman said at the time: "Despite the challenges of starting their on screen partnership during a pandemic, Alison and Dermot have developed a firm friendship and their chemistry has proved a ratings success. Since the pandemic ended, the pair are now able to enjoy socialising together post the show and have enjoyed spending time with each other's families too."
But in a fresh interview, Alison, 47, has shared her confusion at why people think that she and Dermot don't get on. And even though she is baffled by the 'feud' claims, she doesn't mind keeping the rumour going.
Speaking to GKBarry on the Saving Grace podcast, Alison said: “I can’t tell you how wrong they actually are. I love the fact that people think that. I’m gonna keep that going. Go 'babes, people think we hate each other, let’s do a couple of things on the telly like stand further apart.' Like we’re still distancing!
"But seriously I love the fact people think we’ve got beef, it’s hilarious. Honestly, I can’t tell you how much I love that man, he’s so funny." Alison then continued to share how she is now 'owning' how the pair appears on screen together.
The mum-of-one continued: "I kind of liked the distancing though, cos I’m quite a rotund presenter and Dermot is so little, you couldn’t really tell that I was that big when we were separated. Now we’re together, it’s like gosh, look at the size of Al. But I’m owning it now, I’m taking up the spaces, this is it, deal with it.”
While Alison is loved-up with a secret boyfriend, as she revealed earlier this year, Dermot has been happily married to wife Dee Koppang since 2012 and the couple share a two-year-old son together, she had a usual cheeky response when asked if she wish they'd ever dated.
"I think he wants to," Alison said with her trademark cackle. "I’m only joking. No, don’t be silly, he’s married. I think she wants a bit of me as well! It’s like he’s got two wives anyway, he’s got Dee and he’s got me, he’s got a work wife, and I am like a wife. But honestly I can’t tell you how much I love Dermot O’Leary, he’s so funny."
Earlier this month when she was on the show as a guest to chat to Holly Willoughby and Phillip Schofield about her nomination at the National Television Awards, it wasn't long before Phillip was asking Alison about her partnership with Dermot. "Dermot came to my house the other day and I just love him so much," she gushed. "He is my partner in crime. I just think he’s amazing. He came down and I cooked him some chicken, rice and peas and he said it was the best dinner he’s ever had!"
And it stretched way beyond dinner. "I said to him 'Aidan’s not very well so I’m just going to take him to the doctors, you chill out here', and he was like, 'No Al, I’m coming to the doctors with ya, I’m like his telly dad!'" Alison revealed. "So we all went to the doctors all sitting in the waiting room." Laughing at the bizarreness of it all, she added: "Dermot O’Leary from The X Factor is in the doctors with me - it was so so weird!"
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