This Morning star Alison Hammond was previously left wiping away the tears as she recalled a time in her life when she was unable to pay her mortgage – despite her fame.
Since shooting into the spotlight in 2002 thanks to her appearance on Big Brother, Alison has become one of TV’s go-to presenters. From stints on This Morning to The Great British Bake Off – which repeats this weekend (October 5) – Alison has kept busy.
However, it hasn’t always been plain sailing for Brummie fave Alison, with the star overcoming a number of hurdles along the way…
This Morning star Alison Hammond on money issues in her early fame
In an interview from August this year, Alison opened up about when she went through a period of financial turmoil, after being unable to bag any work.
“There was a time when I couldn’t pay my mortgage and I was really famous,” she told The Guardian. This was in 2007, when Alison was a reporter on This Morning. Despite this gig, when she was left unused by the show, she had no other work in the pipeline.
Alison Hammond: ‘It’s not all good all of the time’
As a result, she ended up getting a job at her local hairdressers where she would “answer the phone, do a few blow dries”. Her son Aidan was still very young at the time and her mother helped them financially too.
However, when recalling the story, the publication noted how Alison began to cry. She then shared: “It’s not all good all of the time. But I was all right, you know? That’s television, it’s fickle and it’s part of my journey, part of my power.”
She also admitted in the interview that Bake Off might not want her back next year. “And that’s okay. I know I’ll be okay, because I’ve been okay before. I’ll go and work at Tesco and people will still love me.”
BBC dance show axed
Alison is no stranger to hiccups along the way. In fact, a few years back, the fan-favourite host is said to have filmed a pilot for a BBC dance show called Clear The Dancefloor. However, the network opted not to develop the pilot into a full series.
This news broke shortly after the cancellation of another BBC game show, I Can See Your Voice, which also featured Alison.
“This will be gutting for Alison, as getting an ongoing gig on the Beeb is seen as many a presenter’s ultimate goal,” one insider claimed to The Sun earlier this year.
“There were high hopes for Clear The Dancefloor as it seemed to tap into the same energy as Strictly, which she appeared on in 2014. But she won’t be short of work anyway.”
Despite these hurdles, Alison’s schedule is still packed. In fact, she’ll soon be fronting a new BBC show. Alison Hammond’s Big Weekend, which will see her spend 48 hours with a celebrity guest, is due on screens next year.
Alison hosts Bake Off Tuesdays at 8pm on Channel 4. It repeats Saturday afternoons.
Read more: Alison Hammond admits she ‘can’t wait’ to reunite with her boyfriend in gushing comment
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