Alison Hammond has revealed the “strategy” she used when it came to hosting For the Love of Dogs.
The telly fave is the brand-new host of the ITV smash hit show – which was fronted by Paul O’Grady until his death last year. Alison made her debut on April 16.
And with Alison coming across a slew of adorable pups on the show it seems she had a plan to stop herself from taking the dogs home with her once filming had finished for the day.
For The Love of Dogs host Alison Hammond ‘aware’ she’ll never replace Paul
When news of Alison hosting For The Love Of Dogs was revealed, she said: “I am very aware that I can never replace the iconic Paul in this wonderful series.
“But if I can continue to shine a light on the brilliant work done at Battersea and help to tell the stories of these beautiful dogs, then it will be an absolute privilege to give it my all. I can’t wait to share the joy of their searches for new loving forever homes. And hopefully make lots of furry friends of my own along the way!”
And it appears Alison had a “strategy” to stop herself from taking home those “furry friends”.
‘I’m going to get a dog’
In a new interview, Alison was quizzed on if she had a strategy to stop herself from “taking all the dogs home”. And it turns out she did.
The Brummie icon revealed to Best Magazine: “I’ve already come up with my strategy. I mean, I started off saying: ‘I’m going to get a dog.’
You know, there’s always the future.
“But as time went on, I realised how much actually goes into having a dog and how to be a responsible owner is to recognise your own circumstances and see that maybe this isn’t the time to have a dog. However, you know, there’s always the future.”
As for what kind of dog appeals to her, Alison said one that is “not perfect”. She explained: “I have an affinity for the dogs where there’s something wrong with them. Or they might be a bit chubby or they’ve got one eye or one leg. I don’t know what it is.”
Alison ‘could never replace’ Paul O’Grady
When Alison was announced as the new host, it sparked a mixed reaction among fans. Some are thrilled for Alison while others believe she’s the wrong choice to host.
But Alison was quick to make it clear she could “never replace” Paul. And she highlighted once again how central he had been to For the Love of Dogs. Prioritising the work of Battersea Dogs & Cats Home in her post, Alison deftly countered objections to her casting.
She wrote in the caption to an image of her holding a pup: “I’m thrilled to be joining team @battersea and helping dogs find special homes and continuing @paulogrady work.
“We all know he can never be replaced. But we need to continue his work so that @battersea can continue to thrive and give forever homes to lots of deserving dogs. This programme has really helped the charity and I for one take that very seriously.”
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