Alison Hammond’s contacts with celebrities have gotten her a lot of attention over the years.
On This Morning, she’s interviewed everyone from Britney Spears to One Direction, made Harrison Ford laugh, flirted with Michael Bublé, and even gave Hugh Jackman chocolates on a date.
But the legendary TV host has since toned it down, freely confessing to being less’tactile’ with A-listers than she used to be.
Alison, 48, highlighted why her personality makes her suited for the position as she joins the Great British Bake Off family as a new host alongside Noel Fielding.
‘I started off interviewing people on This Morning and this was going back to basics,’ she told Mail Online.
‘Fundamentally, it’s being interested in somebody else.
‘I do come across as loud and brash, but I also listen to what people have to say.’
With Paul Hollywood’s Bake Off handshakes becoming the hot item in the tent, Alison has sworn to throw out the Hammond Hugs as well.
‘I’ve always been quite tactile,’ she added. ‘I’ve scaled it back. I don’t jump on celebrities anymore and kiss them, we’re in a different age. I just like a cuddle.’
Alison has slotted in perfectly with the Bake Off family, with Noel, Paul, and judge Dame Prue Leith welcoming her with open arms.
On her love for Alison, Dame Prue, 83, explained: ‘I adore Matt, Paul and Noel, but it was like dealing with a bunch of primary school children sometimes. You know how a three-year-old loves the word poo?
‘They crack up. Well, those boys are not much different. Alison’s a breath of fresh air.
‘Yes, she’s naughty, but she leads the gang and has a tremendous base of kindness. She naturally likes people.’
‘On top of this is a teasing, spirited, fun woman. A really good combo. She’s life-enhancing, there’s no doubt,’ she added.
The feeling is mutual, too, as Alison described Prue as ‘a gentle guiding force, generous, kind and knowledgeable.’
‘It’s kind of like having my mum there,’ she said sweetly.
Speaking of her mother, Alison has previously stated that hosting Bake Off is very meaningful for her, calling the opportunity as “bittersweet.”
‘It was so exciting, I knew the news about three weeks before announcing it,’ she said.
‘The story was leaked but it was fine because we were ready to go with it anyway. I was over the moon, I’ve been sitting on it for three weeks.’
The day it was leaked was actually her late mum’s birthday, Alison revealed.
She continued to The Sun: ‘I was kind of feeling like was it my mum who leaked this story. I’ll do this on my birthday.’
Alison’s mother died of liver and lung cancer in 2020.
When the trailer for the new series debuted, Bake Off viewers got their first sight of Alison in the tent.
Taking over for Matt Lucas, the Birmingham star has received nothing but love from viewers who can’t wait for her to get started.
The Great British Bake Off returns to Channel 4 this month.
Source My Celebrity Life.
