The star said she would get a job in Tesco if she falls on hard times again.
(Image: Channel 4 / Mark Bourdillon / Love Productions.)
Alison Hammond broke down in tears as she revealed money problems left her unable to pay her mortgage – despite working on This Morning. The bubbly Brummy, who shot to fame on Big Brother in 2002, began working in television after she left the house.
She has shows such as For The Love Of Dogs and Great British Bake Off on her CV but in 2007 she was left unused by This Morning and had no other work lined up. Despite being well known, she suffered from money problems and had to get a job outwith the entertainment industry to support her family.
Revealing the financial dire straits she was in, Alison admitted: “There was a time when I couldn’t pay my mortgage, and I was really famous.” The 49-year-old got a job at the local hairdressers, but if a customer recognised her, she would say she was only there because she was helping out.
(Image: @alisonhammond55/instagram.)
According to The Mirror, she teared up as she told The Guardian: “I’d answer the phone, do a few blow dries. It’s not all good all of the time. But I was all right, you know? That’s television, it’s fickle and it’s part of my journey, part of my power.”
Her son, Aidan, who was still very young at the time, was at home, and her mum also helped them financially. The star joined Bake Off last year, replacing comic actor Matt Lucas, who said he was leaving to focus on “other projects”.
The mum-of-one, who actually eats the cakes, unlike co-host, Noel Fielding, has been a big hit with fans. However, Alison admits the show might not want her back next year, insisting: “That’s OK. I know I’ll be OK, because I’ve been OK before. I’ll go and work at Tesco and people will still love me.”
One show which apparently does want the star back is For The Love Of Dogs. It has been reported that the next series will air in the first half of 2025 after rumours that Alison could be axed from the job.
Viewing figures went down during the presenter’s debut series compared to the huge figures which the late Paul O’Grady amassed during his seasons. Alison’s episode in April received an average audience rating of 1.84m and reached 2m viewers at its peak.
Paul gained at least double the amount of views according to ITV, with an average of more than four million viewers in 2021. Alison opened up after her show aired saying that she was trolled while it was on screen.
(Image: Channel 4 / Mark Bourdillon / Love Productions.)
She shared: “I was actually surprised with how much [trolling] I got for doing the show. I could understand in the sense that Paul was so loved, and people were saying: ‘How can she do Love Of Dogs when she doesn’t have a dog?
“How does she love dogs when she doesn’t have a dog?’ It’s like saying: ‘How can you love children when you haven’t got kids?’.” However, The Sun reported a source saying: “ITV are delighted with how Alison performed at the helm of the show.
“They are chuffed she’s going back to Battersea. It was a big risk continuing the show without Paul who obviously cannot be replaced, but Alison’s warmth and infectious personality shone through.
“It was a no-brainer to commission the series for another run and Alison is also delighted to be going back to Battersea.” Alison appeared in the third season of Big Brother and was the second housemate to be evicted.
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