Alison Hammond
On her new TV show and special bond she shares with her son
Alison Hammond is quickly becoming the queen of our TV screens. From presenting Fridays on This Morning with Dermot O’leary to joining Ant and Dec for their Saturday Night Takeaway, there isn’t much she can’t turn her hand to.
And it’s not hard to see why as, during our exclusive shoot, the 46-year-old is as bubbly as she is on the box and regularly has us in fits of giggles.
Something else Alison is hoping will bring a smile to people’s faces is her new BBC entertainment show I Can See Your Voice. Along with Amanda Holden and Jimmy Carr, Alison will be part of the celebrity judging panel helping contestants guess who can and cannot sing from a group of strangers (without hearing them sing), in order to win a cash prize.
“I felt like it was something special when we were filming it,” she said of the show, which is hosted by Paddy Mcguinness and based on the South Korean programme of the same name.
Here, Alison, who is mum to Aidan, 16, opens up about her bond with her son, learning to put herself first and why joining forces with Amanda and Jimmy was a perfect recipe for success…
You look fantastic in our shoot, Alison. Are you feeling confident?
It’s my glam team. They really enhance my beauty. They literally change my face!
You’ve said exercise is key to getting through lockdown. Has it helped you mentally?
Always. As soon as I exercise I feel happier. I do more and I eat less. I need my trainer Ellis on Zoom with me or I will not do it. I always find something else to do. The last thing I think about is myself, but it’s important to put yourself first and I’m learning to do that. I’ve also learnt that I’m not as motivated in regards to exercise and eating healthily as I thought I would have been in lockdown. I’m not that person unfortunately. I do it when I’m ready.
How did you find homeschooling your son, Aidan?
He knew what he was doing so I was the hype team! Sometimes I would get messages from the school saying, “He hasn’t checked into this lesson,” so I had to be on his tail the whole time. He’s doing his GCSES and I don’t have a clue about the work. It’s another level. I just made sure he had the most amazing breakfasts.
What’s your bond like with Aidan?
He was born on my birthday and has a very similar temperament to me. We’re both stubborn. We love as much as we fight, but he still wants cuddles even though he’s 16. He still wants his mum, which I love. We have a lovely bond. He’s everything I always wanted to be when I was younger.
Do you think he’d like to be a presenter?
No, he’s not interested. He’s obsessed with Formula 1 and cars. He wants to go to Silverstone College and do Formula 1 mechanics. But he’d be good at presenting because he has that personality. He could fall back on to presenting if he wanted to.
Who’s on your bucket list to interview?
Michelle Obama. I think an hour with Michelle would be amazing and I could pick her brains over a cocktail. I’d love to sit down with Brad Pitt too. I think we’d get on really well. He’s been to Birmingham loads – apparently he has mates there.
Was it an instant yes when you were approached about joining the panel of celebrity investigators for I Can See Your Voice?
It was a no-brainer. When they told me about the concept and how there will be bad singers and good singers but we’re not going to see them sing, I thought, “Well, obviously I’m one of the best singers you’re ever going to come across!” It was just exciting not to be a contestant and be on the other side. I hope people love it. With us all in lockdown, I think it’s a brilliant show for a laugh and it will bring families together. It felt like having a little night out in the studio.
It looks like you had a good time filming it…
It was so much fun. Jimmy and Amanda put a smile on my face. They are the funniest guys to be around in lockdown. It was just lovely to be with Jimmy, who obviously fell in love with me. We had the banter but sadly we never had a cuddle or a kiss. I’m such a touchy-feely person, I just really struggled with that side of things. We got to do a little miming duet, though. At first I didn’t see it working putting me, Jimmy and Amanda together, but whoever did is a genius. And Paddy was a dream to work with. We stayed in
the same hotel and he had a cross trainer in his room! I was like, “I really need to be a bit more diva!” That’s why they all looked so good. Paddy is so healthy. He was always running.
Did Amanda share any judging tips from Britain’s Got Talent?
She brought a wealth of experience. She didn’t really teach me about that but she taught me how to show a bit more leg! You know sitting down and how to edge the skirt up a little bit. She taught me a bit about sex appeal!
So can we expect you and Amanda to be quite cheeky together?
She kept getting in trouble for opening her legs. They had to keep saying, “Amanda keep your legs shut!” That really tickled me. But mainly it was our laughs, they’re just so loud. We were like laugh twins. And then you’ve got Jimmy’s laugh. We sound horrendous together! We were like three horns.
What do you each bring to the panel?
Jimmy was probably the best at spotting whether they were a good singer or not. I don’t know how he did it – I think he just guessed. Amanda brought her expertise because she is a singer. She was good at spotting whether or not someone had an accent or a lisp. She was really quite clever. I literally went against whatever I was thinking because
I just couldn’t guess it. It was the hardest thing I’ve ever had to do!
Amanda joked you were trying to find a husband on the show. Did you spot anyone you liked?
I spotted a few potentials. One was gay, so I couldn’t have him. I think the rest were too young for me. I’m not looking for a toy boy – I want someone older and wiser who can look after me.
Do you use dating apps?
I’ve been there and done it. I’ve had a boyfriend from a dating app and I’m really not into them any more. I’d rather meet someone naturally. Right now, being single is the worst but dating in lockdown is not my thing.
‘Amanda Holden taught me a bit about sex appeal!’
Have any celebrities been sliding into your DMS?
They are always sliding into my DMS these celebrities! It’s just too much. The last person was Paddy asking if I was alright. Jimmy slid into my DMS too – he won’t leave me alone. I’ve blocked him now. Dermot keeps sliding into my DMS so I’ve blocked him too!
I Can See Your Voice is on BBC 1 this month