Alison Hammond returned to social media and TV today as the man arrested on suspicion of blackmailing her was bailed.
The star, 48, was said to be distraught after the 36-year-old - who cannot yet be identified for legal reasons - threatened to "ruin" her career.
It is claimed the star handed over thousands of pounds with a man she once believed was her friend and even offered to pay for rehab treatment to kick his battle with drugs.
The man spent 24 hours in custody after he was arrested on Saturday but has since been released on bail.
Unmoved, the telly favourite took to her Instagram to share a selfie much-needed evening out with her pals.
The girls' night with some celeb friends was just the tonic ahead of her This Morning return today.
Joining co-star Holly Willoughby, Spice Girl Emma Bunton and singer Nicole Appleton, they joined two other friends and hit the town.
Alison captioned the snap: "Girls therapy night, needed that" as she beamed for the camera.
It was claimed that Alison had purchased a car for the unidentified male for the sum of £5000 after he reportedly threatened to "ruin" her public career.
Alison, who found fame on Big Brother was said to have "trusted" the male in question but she reportedly discovered he was "only interested" in her personal finances.
A spokesperson for the force told the Mirror earlier on Saturday: "We are investigating an allegation of blackmail of a woman in her 40s. We take reports of this kind very seriously and our enquiries are progressing swiftly."
Speaking to The Sun, a source close to Alison alleges that her blackmailer had planned to make up false stories about her.
The source went on to claim Alison said: "Out of the blue he said he could tell lies to make people think less of me, it was alarming.
"I'm a very generous person and was happy to spend money on him, I wanted to help him."
espite reporting him to the police, the source went on to suggest that Alison feared the potential repercussions of her actions.
But while she may have been going through a tough experience, she has continued to put on a brave face and honour her work commitments on shows such as This Morning.
The Mirror also revealed that Alison will be replacing Matt Lucas on The Great British Bake Off and will appear alongside Paul Hollywood as she becomes the first non-white judge or host since it started airing almost 15 years ago.
