Alison Hammond (born 5 February 1975) is a British television presenter and actress. She competed in the third series of the reality show Big Brother in 2002, in which she was the second housemate to be evicted.[1] She has since become a presenter and reporter on ITV's This Morning (2002–present) and a co-presenter on the Channel 4 reality baking competition The Great British Bake Off (2023–present). In January 2024, it was announced that Hammond would take over For the Love of Dogs from Paul O'Grady, following his death in March 2023.
Hammond was born on 5 February 1975 to Jamaican parents and was raised in the north Birmingham district of Kingstanding alongside her two siblings.[2][3][4] She attended Cardinal Wiseman School.[2] Her mother had several jobs concurrently, including one as a manager for Tupperware.[3] From the age of 11, Hammond participated in drama workshops run by Central Television, but lack of funds meant she was unable to attend drama school.[2][3] She later moved to Hall Green in south Birmingham.[5] She was previously engaged to Noureddine Boufaied from 2005 to 2014, and together the couple have one son, born in 2005.[6]
Career
In 2002, Hammond competed on the third series of the Channel 4 reality series Big Brother. That same year, she appeared in an episode of the BBC soap opera Doctors in an acting role and also began presenting and reporting for ITV's This Morning.[7] Hammond then appeared on many television programmes, including Celebrity Fit Club, Celebrities Under Pressure, and Big Star's Little Star. She has also appeared on Celebrity Stars in Their Eyes, performing as Nina Simone, Celebrity Ready Steady Cook, Daily Cooks Challenge, as a panellist on ITV's Loose Women, and as a presenter on the short-lived ITV Play channel. In 2004, Hammond played herself as a TV reporter in Christmas Lights opposite Robson Green. In 2008, Hammond was named as the face of online bingo site Crown Bingo and took part in live chats, voiced characters and can be heard as the bingo caller in the bingo room.[8] In November 2010, Hammond became a contestant on the tenth series of I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here! and, on 28 November 2010, became the fourth contestant to leave the show.[9]
In 2014, Hammond participated in the ninth series of Celebrity MasterChef on BBC One. She also participated in the twelfth series of Strictly Come Dancing in 2014 on BBC One.[10] She partnered with 11th series' champion Aljaž Škorjanec. They were voted off in the seventh week of competition and finished 10th.[11] On 19 November 2015, it was announced she would compete in the annual Strictly Christmas Special.[12] Hammond made her Hollywood debut in the animated film Hotel Transylvania 3: Summer Vacation (2018).[13] In 2020, ITV announced a shake-up of This Morning presenters, with Hammond replacing Eamonn Holmes and Ruth Langsford on a Friday, presenting alongside Dermot O'Leary.[14] Hammond and O'Leary have since taken on the other days after the respective resignations of Phillip Schofield and Holly Willoughby in the summer and autumn of 2023 as part of a rotation of hosts.
In December 2020, Alison appeared as a celebrity guest on game show The Wheel on BBC One.[15] She also played the Countess in the Sainsbury's 2022 Christmas advert.[16] Hammond then hosted the 76th British Academy Film Awards with Richard E. Grant.[17] It was announced in March 2023 that Hammond would be the new co-host of The Great British Bake Off, replacing Matt Lucas.[18]
