Alison and Ruth now after 'reality TV swipe, cryptic message and final tribute'
Alison Hammond has become a national treasure after working her way from being a stand-out star of Big Brother to a regular face on This Morning.
But while Alison, who turns 49 today, is adored by many, there have been suggestions that not all presenters are friends when the cameras stop rolling. She became a hot topic of conversation after it was announced in 2020 that she was to replace Ruth Langsford for the ITV daytime show, alongside Dermot O'Leary, who took the reigns from Eamonn Holmes.
Tension between the women was reported, though Ruth, who was reportedly devastated over the replacement, shut down the speculation. Alison later admitted that not all those who work for the show are actually pals. Speaking to The Sun, Alison said: "We're not on top of each other, do you know what I mean?"
Alison and Dermot took over Eamonn and Ruth's Friday slot on This MorningRuth was forced to deny any bad blood between her and Alison after she made a swipe at people who start their careers on-screen after being on reality TV. Ruth told the Mirror's Notebook magazine that she and Eamonn had put the 'work in' to get to where they are today, in an interview given in early October prior to the news breaking. Ruth said: "We've put the work in. We didn't do a reality show and get an overnight job on the telly. We've come up through the ranks.
"Eamonn was only 19 when he started out. And he was doing the teatime news in Belfast during The Troubles. It was heavy stuff. And he's now got an OBE for services to broadcasting." Her spokesperson confirmed that the presenter made the comments weeks before the news about Alison, who started on Big Brother, was even announced and denied they were about her.
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Shortly after, Alison made a cryptic Instagram post in which fans connected to the backlash. The Brummie posted a drawing of a girl being lifted up by a dolphin, with text alongside reading: "Strong people don't put others down. They lift them up."
Alison Hammond and Phillip Schofield spoke to Ruth Langsford live on the show - but viewers cringed over the awkwardness (ITV/REX/Shutterstock)Rumours of a feud were exacerbated when Ruth, 63, was presenting Loose Women, where they cut to the This Morning studio with Alison hosting alongside Phillip Schofield. Viewers were convinced she had totally ignored Alison waving at her, and tweeted to say she only talked to Phil and that it left them cringing.
The two women were then forced to interact with each other for the first time on live TV since the rumours, with viewers branding the encounter 'awkward'. In an interview in 2022, Alison admitted that it was hard to replace her friends, who had been presenting This Morning on Fridays for 15 years.
Speaking on Lorraine Kelly and her daughter Rosie's podcast, What If? she explained: "It's been really authentic, and we've been really honest from that to say, like, we did struggle… It was difficult in the beginning, it was really hard, you know, with everything that came with it as well, it was really a tough time to negotiate."
She went on to say she received "flack" for simply doing her job, and that it was "tough" stepping into their big shoes, but the married couple encouraged her to take on the role. On their final Friday in the job, Alison penned a heartfelt tribute to the stalwarts, saying the iconic pair were a "class above the rest".
On their last slot, Eamonn and Ruth took the time to beg fans to "be nice" to Alison as she took over the married duo's weekly slot. Eamonn explained: "You won't be watching us anymore on a Friday, Alison Hammond and Dermot O'Leary are going to be here on Fridays from here on in.
"Please can we ask you to be as nice to them [Alison and Dermot] friends of ours as they are - and we're very close to Alison - as you have been to us for the past 15 years."
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