gran plan
I’m desperate for another kid but I may leave it up to my 17-year-old son to make me grandmother, says Alison Hammond
SINCE shooting to fame on Big Brother 20 years ago, Alison Hammond has become the darling of daytime TV.
But there’s one particular role she’s thrilled could be on the horizon — that of grandmother.
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Alison’s teenage son Aiden, 17, has begun to bring girls home to meet the This Morning presenter, 47.
She said: “There’s been a couple of times with his girlfriends — friends who are girls, so he says.
“I just hope any girl is nice and kind — and not pregnant. But I would like another child, and I’d be happy to look after it.
“They could have the baby and go about and do what you wanna do and I’ll look after it.
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“I just hope I get on with the woman because obviously I want to be part of this child’s life.”
Single mum Alison has had to make peace with the fact that Aiden, who she has dubbed the “last real love of her life”, will soon be flying the nest.
She went on: “My son is so beautiful. I just want him to be happy ultimately.
‘I was fuming’
“I want somebody kind who respects him and someone who’s just nice.
“It’s gonna need to be someone who’s quite patient who can tidy up after him in the morings. He’s a bit rough in the bathroom — he leaves his towels on the bathroom floor.
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“But he’s kind, nice and funny, so I need someone who’s gonna compliment that really.
“Doesn’t matter if you’re a bit ulgy or larger — he’s used to larger women. Just some-one who’s gonna love him unconditionally like I do.”
Alison lives out of the limelight with Aiden in Birmingham but her fans and This Morning viewers have always been part of the lad’s life.
In 2004 when she was a roving reporter for the ITV show, Alison bared her pregnant tummy for a scan and learnt live on air that she and then-partner Noureddine Boufaied were having a boy.
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And hours before going into labour she revealed to viewers that she had been induced.
Since then Alison has become one of the channel’s biggest stars with a huge fan base, enthralled by her hilarious celebrity interviews and madcap moments.
Chatting on the Saving Grace podcast, Alison said: “I think Aiden quietly thinks I’m quite cool. I go home and he goes, ‘You do realise you’ve gone viral?’
“He says ‘You’re so funny, mum’. He just gets it.”
“There’s been a couple of times I’ve had to do a couple of pictures with his girlfriends.
“In fact he had a girl over the other day, and she really can’t drive because she drove into my gate.
“You know you’re like, oh God, I’ve got to still be nice, it’s his girlfriend. But I was absolutely fuming.
They could have a baby and go about and do what you wanna do and I’ll look after
it. I’d be all over that
“She texted me, ‘I’m so sorry about the gate. Do you want me to pay anything?’
“I said, ‘No problem, darling, it’s just an accident. A friend of Aiden’s is a friend of mine. These things happen.”
It’s this kind of down-to-earth candour This Morning’s viewers love about Alison.
And it’s what has made her such a great partner for the other man in her life — on-screen “work husband” Dermot O’Leary.
So Alison remains baffled by rumours there is unrest between them, despite viewers pointing to times the former X Factor presenter has appeared to snap at her on air.
Continuing her chat with the podcast presenter GKBarry, she said: “I can’t tell you how wrong they actually are. I love the fact that people think that. I’m gonna keep that going.
“Go ‘babes, people think we hate each other, let’s do a couple of things on the telly like stand further apart’.
“Like we’re still distancing!
“But seriously I love the fact people think we’ve got beef, it’s hilarious.
“Honestly I can’t tell you how much I love that man, he’s so funny.”
It’s a full circle moment for Alison, who has become one of Big Brother’s biggest success stories after her appearance in its third series alongside Kate Lawer - despite being the second housemate to be booted.
In his 20s, Dermot cut his teeth on the spin-off show, Big Brother’s Little Brother.
Their careers have been woven together ever since, until they formally partnered up on This Morning in January 2021 when social distancing was still in place.
‘My eyes were stinging’
Alison continued: “I kind of liked the distancing though, cos I’m quite a rotund presenter and Dermot is so little, you couldn’t really tell that I was that big when we were separated.
“Now we’re together, it’s like gosh, look at the size of Al.
“But I’m owning it now, I’m taking up the spaces, this is it, deal with it.”
Dermot has been happily married to wife Dee Koppang since 2012, while Alison has been with her secret boyfriend for two years.
But did the close pals ever wish they had dated?
Alison cackled: “I think he wants to. I’m only joking. No, don’t be silly, he’s married.
“I think she wants a bit of me as well!
“It’s like he’s got two wives anyway, he’s got Dee and he’s got me, he’s got a work wife, and I am like a wife.
“But honestly I can’t tell you how much I love Dermot O’Leary, he’s so funny.”
The pair came centre stage at the NTAs earlier this month when This Morning scooped the gong for Best Daytime Programme.
In a hilarious moment, Phillip Schofield thrust the microphone at Alison to give an acceptance speech.
It came shortly after she missed out on Best Presenter.
Alison said: “Everyone’s going, ‘Al you’re gonna win’, I was like stop it, you’re making me feel like I’m gonna win.
I love the fact people think me and Dermot have got beef, it’s hilarious. Honestly, I can’t tell you how much I love that man
“Anyway the moment came and the guy presenting the award went ‘A’ and I heard Alison, I swear to God.
“So I then looked at Dermot and went, ‘did they say Alison?’
“Then he looked at me and he went, ‘no!.’ And then we just burst into laughter.
“Thank God I didn’t believe my own hype and stand up.
“It was so funny, so then after that This Morning won the award and then Phillip throws me under the bus and says ‘Alison should speak’ and I had nothing!
“I was like, ‘what am I saying?’”
It came after a troubled time for the show’s cast after Phil and Holly Willoughby were slated for appearing to skip the queue to see Queen Elizabeth lying in state.
So they all enjoyed a few drinks after the ceremony.
Explaining how she ended up on Friday’s show with a hangover, Alison said: “My eyes were stinging.
“I was like, ‘you’re gonna have to pull out some seriousness now, don’t even mess around just get that makeup on’.
“I thought it’s two hours, you’ve got to enjoy your life, sleep when you die.”
And she laughed: “I still don’t think I’m recovered. I’m still missing sleep!”
Alison might have to get used to running on empty as she has big plans for the future.
Her name is in the frame as host for ITV’s reboot of Big Brother and, one day, she’s eyeing a move to America.
The bubbly Brummie went on: “I’d love to go and live in LA for a bit. I love LA. I really like LA. And I’d like to work there.
“Get a big house with a swimming pool. I love the food, I love the people. I love the clothes.
“I always said I’d wait til Aiden got to an age, and I think maybe we’ll soon be there, maybe in a couple of years.
“Pop over, see what happens in LA. I think I’ve broken America a couple of times.
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“A lot of Americans contact me on Instagram saying, ‘you’re so funny.’”
It wouldn’t be the first time a larger-than-life Brit had broken the States.
She added: “Do a James Corden? Let’s see what happens, let me have a word.
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“The Late Late Show with Alison Hammond. It’s got a ring!”
- Listen to the Saving Grace podcast every Wednesday on Spotify or iTunes.
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