Alison Hammond has dismissed claims of a feud with This Morning co-host Dermot O’Leary, hilariously admitting she now wants to perpetuate the rumours even more.
The TV duo, who have hosted the ITV daytime show together each Friday since January 2021, were previously at the centre of reports in the Daily Mail claiming their differences had left them struggling to “hit it off” behind the scenes.
Alison was asked about claims of a rift with the former X Factor host during an appearance on the Saving Grace podcast, and had a typically Alison response.
“I can’t tell you how wrong they actually are. I love the fact that people think that. I’m gonna keep that going,” she told host GK Barry (via The Sun).
“Go ‘babes, people think we hate each other, let’s do a couple of things on the telly like stand further apart’. Like we’re still distancing!
“But seriously I love the fact people think we’ve got beef, it’s hilarious.”
She added: “Honestly I can’t tell you how much I love that man, he’s so funny.”
Alison was also asked if they wished they’d dated, to which she replied: “I think he wants to. I’m only joking. No, don’t be silly, he’s married.
“I think she wants a bit of me as well!” she said, referring to Dermot’s TV director wife Dee Koppang-O’Leary.
“It’s like he’s got two wives anyway, he’s got Dee and he’s got me, he’s got a work wife, and I am like a wife,” Alison continued.
“But honestly I can’t tell you how much I love Dermot O’Leary, he’s so funny.”
Alison and Dermot first met over 20 years ago, after her time as a housemate on Big Brother came to an end, while he was presenting the spin-off show Big Brother’s Little Brother.
Prior to their appointment as a permanent This Morning duo replacing long-standing Friday hosts Ruth Langsford and Eamonn Holmes, the pair had presented a handful of live episodes together as guest hosts in 2020.
An ITV rep previously dismissed reports of a rift between Alison and Dermot, telling HuffPost UK: “Despite the challenges of starting their on screen partnership during a pandemic, Alison and Dermot have developed a firm friendship and their chemistry has proved a ratings success.
“Since the pandemic ended, the pair are now able to enjoy socialising together post the show and have enjoyed spending time with each other’s families too.”
This Morning airs weekdays at 10am on ITV, while the Saving Grace podcast is available to stream on podcast platforms now.