‘Reality TV is not over’
TV presenter Alison Hammond on success, her new book and Big Brother’s rumoured return
Alison Hammond is an interviewer extraordinaire with a heart of gold. Whether she’s “marrying” Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson on live television, or making Harrison Ford laugh like we’ve never seen before, she always puts a smile on our faces.
When we meet the This Morning
presenter at Penguin Random House UK in London, she greets us with open arms to chat about her new book.
She’s come a long way since she started out on Big Brother
back in 2002. And with rumours that the iconic reality show could be making an epic return, we were keen to get her thoughts:“I don’t know why they stopped it!”
Although the nation loves watching Alison on TV, there’s one person who isn’t keen – her son! She says 17-year-old Aidan would rather watchTikTok orYouTube.
Here, Alison, 47, chats Big Brother,
her TV career success and writing her book Black In Time…
Hi, Alison! Do you enjoy doing This Morning as much as we love watching you on it?
It’s amazing. I’ve been at This Morning now for 20 years. I’m really good friends with people on camera and really good friends with people off camera. More so people off camera really, because I see the producers a lot more. It’s an absolute treat to go to work. I feel so lucky every day.
is rumoured to be returning. Do you think it would do well today?
Big Brother
I thought it did well, up until the end. I don’t get the politics of why they stop things. I think it will do really well because we all like a bit of voyeurism, don’t we? Watching people and what they’re like. We like a bit of drama. Reality TV is not over, it’s still very much at the forefront of things.
Congratulations on your new book,
Black In Time.
I’m thrilled. To finally see it, after a year’s worth of work and research, is just overwhelming. I’m quite emotional. I know how important this book is going to be for children.
Tell us more about it...
It’s a book about historical Black figures in history who have done amazing, positive things to contribute to the British empire. I brought my interviewing skills to this book.You’ll see a lot of that, and you’ll hear my voice throughout the book. If you’ve read it, you’ll literally hear me all the way through it. It’s brilliant! We talked to Nicola Adams, Andi Peters and many more. It was really nice to see people who are here now, who also will make history when they’re dead and gone.
Ellie Kirwin-Jones
Black In Time by Alison Hammond and E. L. Norry (Puffin, £7.99) is available now online and in stores