Following Paul O’Grady’s death last year, ITV star Alison Hammond has been announced as the new presenter of For the Love of Dogs.
In the upcoming series, Alison will search for a new place for Battersea’s dogs and cats to live.
“I am very aware that I can never replace the iconic Paul in this wonderful series,” she said in a statement. However, Alison stated it is “an absolute privilege to give it my all” by showing off Battersea’s “brilliant work”.
Despite Alison’s popularity, many have suggested that there could have been a “better” choice made. Here are the celebrities who would have made an amazing replacement.
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For the Love of Dogs: Julian Clary
After news that Alison would be replacing Paul, many questioned why Julian Clary wasn’t chosen.
“Julian Clary would have been perfect,” one user on X, formerly known as Twitter, wrote.
“Julian Clary would have been a much better choice. At least he has dogs!” another shared.
The 64-year-old comedian has been so open about his love for dogs that he released a book titled The Lick of Love: How Dogs Changed My Life in 2021.
On his Instagram page, he is also known to document many of his dogs from time to time.
Martin Clunes
Actor Martin Clunes was another name that continued to come into the conversation and also made a lot of sense.
“Personally I would’ve chosen Martin Clunes,” one user suggested.
“Martin Clunes would be my choice. You know for sure that he will save the most vulnerable and take them to live with his little pack on his farm in Devon,” another wrote.
In 2008, Martin starred in his own show, Martin Clunes: A Man & His Dogs, where he went across the world to discover the relationship between humans and dogs. In 2021, the Doc Martin star posed with his four dogs to help raise money for the Guide Dogs Appeal.
An addition to the family, Martin adopted a retired guide dog named Laura in 2023.
Tom Hardy
Tom Hardy might be a huge movie star, but fans reckon he would have taken on the job.
One user said: “I’m sure if you would of asked Tom Hardy he would of done it. Yep he’s a movie star.. but he would of took the financial hit. Because he adores dogs.”
“Brilliant idea! He goes into Battersea to play with the dogs and fuss them from time to time anyway so he probably would’ve loved it,” another added.
Tom’s love for dogs is so apparent, that he can be seen playing around with rescue dogs for LADbible on more than one occasion. Meanwhile, he appeared on For the Love of Dogs alongside Paul on one occasion. He’s also an ambassador for Battersea.
Sue Perkins
TV star Sue Perkins has been a close supporter of Battersea for many years and would have also made a great choice to host. In 2017, she was one of the faces of their Animal Cruelty Campaign, which helped change the law to increase the maximum sentence for animal cruelty.
Sue is a proud owner of a rescue Staffie named Tig.
Gok Wan
In a June 2023 interview with The Standard, Gok Wan referred to his dog Dolly as someone who changed his life. Due to his close friendship with Paul and being a fan of the show, he makes an obvious replacement.
However, when he was asked if he would follow in Paul’s footsteps, Gok knew it was big shoes to fill.
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“I mean what a show? How could anybody follow in the footsteps of the legend that is Paul? I was lucky to know him through friends. He was such a great man,” he said.
“I remember Paul saying the most difficult part of the show is not taking those dogs home and I don’t think I could do it. I’d be heartbroken.”
Michelle Keegan
Despite being fairly private, Fool Me Once star Michelle Keegan isn’t shy about her love for dogs. She and her husband, Mark Wright, have a chihuahua and a dachshund.
“I am a massive dog lover. My sausage dog has been with me since I was 21. Until you get your own dog you don’t realise how much love you have for your pets,” Michelle told the Mirror.
We’re sure that if our Michelle was asked, she would’ve considered it!
Read more: Alison Hammond’s pitch-perfect response to trolls as she’s named as new For The Love Of Dogs host
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