Alison Hammond has finally addressed the speculation about the state of her relationship with her This Morning associate, Dermot O’Leary.
Claims of unrest between the two TV personalities, who have been hosting the ITV daytime programme since 2020, have been rife, with a source alleging their friendship has become ‘strained.’
The source further suggested that the network’s executives were ‘worried’ as Alison, 48, and Dermot, 50, became the fallback option to ‘sustain the show in challenging times,’ following accusations of a toxic atmosphere and Phillip Schofield‘s departure.
ITV rushed to dismiss stories about their coolness towards the new Great British Bake Off host, labeling the rumors as ‘nonsense’. Alison seems to have quelled the rumors in a cheerful fashion.
Thursday, prior to This Morning, Alison posted a video on Twitter of her and Dermot dancing and singing along to Ronan Keating’s popular song Life Is A Rollercoaster, creating an impression of a close friendship.
Both Alison and Dermot seemed to refute the ‘strained’ accusations by resharing a This Morning post on Instagram on Sunday that depicted the duo smiling and holding hands.
The caption from the show stated: ‘Join @alisonhammond55 and @dermotoleary this week for some summer fun, including @johntorodecooks preparing a comfort food classic, and a conversation with @officialdannydyer in the studio on Monday! ✨.’
Dermot simply reposted the photo on his Story, while Alison appended a ‘Yay’ gif to highlight her excitement for Monday’s instalment.
ITV released a statement stating: ‘This is sheer nonsense. There’s no friction between Alison and Dermot, quite the opposite.’
They added, ‘Alison, Dermot and Holly are all cherished members of the This Morning team and all enjoy collaborating on the show, as well as maintaining off-set friendships.’
ITV executives are also reported to be eager to ‘secure’ Alison with a proposed deal that could net her a paycheck of £500,000.
An inside source revealed: ‘ITV bosses are considering a new agreement with Alison. They are genuinely concerned about Holly communicating with the BBC and fear she might be the next one to leave.
‘Alison is extremely well-liked and is seen as very straightforward – a quality that is highly valued following Phillip’s admission that he had been dishonest.’
They further told the Mirror: ‘They want to strike a deal with her, and there has even been talk of an exclusive deal for entertainment shows with ITV.’
The source hinted that a deal like this could net her an annual salary of up to £500,000, but emphasized there are ‘no plans in place for that at present’.
This Morning is broadcasted weekdays from 10am on ITV.
