This Morning presenter Josie Gibson has dismissed reports in the tabloid of supposed “tension” between her colleagues Alison Hammond and Dermot O’Leary.
Earlier this month, Alison and Dermot were at the centre of reports in the Daily Mail claiming their differences had left them struggling to “hit it off” behind the scenes.
The news outlet cited an alleged “source” who spoke of “on-set bickering and awkward tensions off-air” between the two stars.
While this was immediately dismissed by a This Morning spokesperson, Josie has also insisted the rumours are untrue.
“Those two are like brother and sister!” she told New magazine. “I don’t know what’s been written but they really do get on. Dermot worships Alison and Alison loves Dermot.”
Josie continued: “She bought him a lovely watch not long ago, and they go round to each other’s houses for dinner.
“You don’t buy people watches and go round to their house if you don’t like them, do you?”
An ITV rep previously told 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.”
In her New magazine interview, Josie admitted it can be difficult for the This Morning team to socialise outside of work hours, saying: “We’re all so busy. We all message each other but it’s so busy being at This Morning , and being a working mum, it’s difficult to pin everybody down.
“But, luckily, we do get to see each other at work.”
Alison and Dermot first met 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, the pair had presented a handful of live episodes together as guest hosts.
Alison was already a much-loved member of the This Morning family by this point, garnering a loyal following thanks to her irreverent A-list interviews with A-list stars like Harrison Ford, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson and Beyoncé.
Dermot’s past credits include The X Factor and the National Television Awards, as well as his his own long-running BBC Radio 2 slot.
Like Alison, Josie’s TV career began after taking part in Big Brother, with the Bristolian star winning the reality show’s final Channel 4 series back in 2010.