Alison Hammond has reportedly signed a new contract with ITV to continue hosting This Morning, potentially complicating any plans to take over as a presenter on Strictly Come Dancing. The 51-year-old television personality has been tipped as a possible replacement for Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman, who announced their departure from the BBC show in October.
According to a source quoted by The Sun, Hammond is “very happy” at This Morning, where she co-hosts on Fridays and during school breaks alongside Dermot O'Leary. The insider suggested that while she has been considered for the Strictly role, she has “no intention to quit” the ITV show, though there may be “some juggling of the schedule” if she were to take on both commitments.
Hammond first rose to fame on Big Brother in 2002 before becoming a key figure in ITV Daytime, eventually securing a main presenting role on This Morning. She also participated in I'm A Celebrity...Get Me Out Of Here and competed on Strictly Come Dancing as a contestant in 2014.
Other names rumoured to be in the running to replace Daly and Winkleman include former It Takes Two presenter Rylan Clark, Fleur East, who currently hosts the BBC Two spin-off, and The Chase favourite Bradley Walsh. Daly and Winkleman confirmed their exit in a video message, stating they had decided to “step aside and pass on the baton” after 21 years on the show.
