A man has been arrested on suspicion of blackmailing TV personality Alison Hammond.
Over the weekend, The Sun reported that the This Morning host had been blackmailed for large sums of money and a BMW car worth £5000.
According to the tabloid, Hammond was put under pressure by her blackmailer, who threatened to spread lies about her in an effort to damage her career if she did not co-operate with the demands.
West Midlands Police said a 36-year-old-man from Warwickshire was arrested on suspicion of blackmail on Saturday evening, and has been in custody for questioning.
HuffPost UK has contacted Alison Hammond’s representatives for comment.
A spokesperson for West Midlands Police previously said: “We are investigating an allegation of blackmail of a woman in her 40s. We take reports of this kind very seriously and our inquiries are progressing swiftly.”
Hammond is best known for her work on the ITV daytime show This Morning, where she has been part of the presenting team for over 20 years, joining the show shortly after leaving the Big Brother house in 2002.
During her years at This Morning, she has garnered a loyal following thanks to her unique interviews with A-list celebrities. Since 2020, she has also co-hosted the show every Friday alongside Dermot O’Leary.
Hammond’s additional TV appearances include stints on I’m A Celebrity, Strictly Come Dancing, Let’s Sing And Dance For Comic Relief, Celebrity MasterChef and Celebs Go Dating.
After presenting segments at this year’s Baftas last month, it was recently confirmed that she would be taking over from Matt Lucas as the new host of the Great British Bake Off.