Alison Hammond turned down This Morning ‘a few times’ because of nerves
By Carla Feric, Press Association Entertainment Reporter
TV presenter Alison Hammond has admitted she turned down her role on ITV’s This Morning “quite a few times” as she was “so nervous”.
The 51-year-old rose to fame in 2002 as a contestant on Channel 4 reality show Big Brother, and has since appeared on programmes including I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here! and Strictly Come Dancing.
Hammond has also had a successful career as a broadcaster and TV personality, having hosted programmes such as The Great British Bake Off, and headlined ITV’s This Morning since 2021.
Speaking on the daytime TV show on Friday, the star revealed her initial reluctance to take on the gig as she “didn’t think I could do it”.
The revelation came as Hammond and her co-host Dermot O’Leary were discussing The Traitors host Claudia Winkleman stepping away from her eponymous talk show as she was “too nervous to enjoy” it.
Hammond said: “I turned down this role quite a few times.
“I was so nervous, I didn’t think I could do it. Even when I did it the first time, I pushed through, and I do actually enjoy it now.”
Hammond first appeared on This Morning in 2003 and became a co-host on the programme in 2021, and is known for memorable TV moments and celebrity interviews such as playing Connect 4 with pop star Beyonce.
“Maybe if Claudia had carried on, she might have enjoyed it,” she added.
The Claudia Winkleman Show – which launched earlier this year – saw the former Strictly host interview celebrity guests in front of a studio audience.
Irish-British broadcaster O’Leary also admitted he suffered from nerves as a presenter, and recounted when he started hosting ITV talent competition The X Factor.
“First live show of X Factor, I don’t think I’ve ever been more nervous in my entire life,” he said.
The 53-year-old added: “You could honestly feel that studio – Fountain Studios – you could feel it; it (shook).
“The noise was that big, and you realise it was like prime time Saturday night and there were 50 million people watching or something.
“You just had to put that all out of your mind.”
O’Leary went on to say he felt less pressure in his role when he reminded himself to take a breath, and that he had “done my homework”.
The flagship entertainment programme began with auditions being filmed in an intimate setting in front of the judges, but they were later hosted in front of thousands of audience members.
The X Factor, which ran from 2004 to 2018, also often broadcast the final stages of the competition live on ITV and also in front of an audience.
O’Leary hosted the programme for 11 years.