This Morning audience, according to Dermot O’Leary, will be able to detect if there is friction behind the scenes.
An insider said earlier this year that relations between the former X Factor presenter and co-star Alison Hammond, who have hosted the ITV daytime programme since 2020, were’strained.’
They went on to say that the broadcaster’s executives were ‘worried’ because they were counting on Alison, 48, and Dermot, 50, to ‘carry the programme through challenging times’ after it was struck by toxicity claims and Phillip Schofield‘s resignation.
ITV quickly dismissed rumours of animosity between the new Great British Bake Off presenter, calling the rumours ‘crazy.’
And it appears like Dermot is saying something similar.
Speaking about the show’s long-serving history, he told The Times: ‘The presenters make a difference too. If two people aren’t getting on, the viewers can see that.’
‘Alison Hammond, my co-host, and I didn’t really know each other when we started working together but now we’re like family. I think there’s an honesty to that.’
Alison released a video on Twitter in July of herself and Dermot getting down and belting out Ronan Keating’s famous tune Life Is A Rollercoaster, looking like the best of friends.
The couple also tried to put an end to the’strained’ rumours by resharing a This Morning Instagram image that showed them grinning and holding hands.
The caption from the programme read: ‘Join @alisonhammond55 and @dermotoleary this week for some summer fun, including @johntorodecooks cooking up a comfort food classic, and a chat with @officialdannydyer in the studio on Monday! ✨.’
Dermot just shared the image on his Story, while Alison added a ‘Yay’ gif to accentuate her anticipation for Monday’s episode.
In a statement, ITV had previously said: ‘This is absolute nonsense. There’s no tension between Alison and Dermot, quite the opposite.’
They continued: ‘Alison, Dermot and Holly are all valued members of the This Morning family and all enjoy working together on the show, as well as having friendships outside of the show.’
This Morning airs weekdays at 10am on ITV.
Source My Celebrity Life.
