Alison Hammond looks back on Big Brother and reveals why she desperately needed that gig

As the new season of Bake Off is set to begin tonight, 26 September, Alison Hammond has been all over the press. Indeed, the presenter will make her debut as a host of the iconic British show.

It was revealed earlier in the year that Hammond would be stepping in to replace Matt Lucas. News of her arrival was overall well received by fans but also by Bake Off judge Prue Leith and co-host, Noel Fielding.

In a new interview, Hammond, whom we’re used to seeing on This Morning reveals why she chose to even enter the TV world in the first place.

Alison Hammond, a fixture of British TV for 20 years

Alison Hammond first appeared on our screens in 2002 when she joined the third series of Big Brother. Though she was eliminated quite early on, Hammond managed to leave a mark and since then, she has made her way in British TV.

Since 2002, Hammond appears on This Morning where she is loved and known for her insanely funny celebrity interviews. She is also known for her contagious laugh and her hilarious segments in the field.

Her very distinctive personality has made her very popular and she is now not only a co-host for Bake Off but also forThis Morning following Phillip Schofield’s exit.

The reason why Alison Hammond joined Big Brother

In an exclusive interview with OK! Hammond explains what motivated her to join Big Brother.

She says:

I owed like £3,000, which I was traumatised by at the time (...) I just couldn’t make that debt go down. So I thought it would be a good idea to win £70,000 on a TV show

At the time she was working in Tunisia as a holiday rep. She left everything behind to join the reality TV show and was crushed to leave so early on.

I was enjoying myself and was really upset when I had to leave.

However, in 2023, we know that her leaving Big Brother was only the beginning as her short time on Big Brother impressed TV bosses into giving her a job on This Morning.

Looking back on her Big Brother days, one can also appreciate how things seem to have aligned. Indeed, back in 2002 she sat on a couch with Dermot O’Leary with whom she now hosts This Morning every Friday.

Read more:

⋙ Alison Hammond: From This Morning to The Great British Bake Off, this is how much she makes

⋙ This Morning: These are the presenters viewers want to see replace Phillip Schofield

⋙ Dermot O’Leary's salary: New This Morning host is one of ITV's highest-paid celebrities

Sources:

X

OK!: Alison Hammond - "I went on Big Brother to clear a traumatising debt - I was devastated to lose"