Alison Hammond has responded to claims that she was wearing an expensive Rolex watch while presenting This Morning.
The popular TV presenter has been a staple on ITV’s flagship morning programme since 2002. She has recently taken on more regular hosting slots since the departure of longtime main anchors Philip Schofield and Holly Willoughby earlier this year.
On Monday (23 October), Hammond, 48, led the show with her regular co-presenter Dermot O’Leary. Soon after the broadcast, a viewer shared her view on Hammond’s choice of timepiece for the day, presuming her to be wearing a luxury Rolex watch.
“I love watching @AlisonHammond but with the cost of living affecting us all, I find it uncomfortable seeing her wearing, what looks like a Rolex,” the viewer wrote on X, formerly Twitter.
Rolex watches range from around £7,700 and can be as expensive as £99,000 and beyond.
Hammond responded directly to the viewer’s post on the social media site and clarified that the watch was not from Rolex, but from the much more accessible brand Michael Kors. She also shared it had been gifted to her by her late mother.
“I wish!! It’s actually a Michael Kors Watch [sic] my late mum bought me and it cost her £185 of her hard-earned money,” the former Big Brother star replied.
“It means more to me than any Rolex. Sorry you felt uncomfortable.”
Dermot O’Leary and Alison Hammond— (ITV / screengrab)
The star’s mother, Maria, died of liver and lung cancer in 2020.
Last year, Hammond appeared on an episode of ITV’s DNA Journey, which follows celebrities as they trace their family’s ancestry and bloodline.
The presenter expressed her sadness over the fact her mother had not been given the chance to discover more about their family heritage when she was alive.
“I’m just so sad my mum’s not here to see it. She really wanted to know more about her family. And this is all on her side, it’s mad,” Hammond told fellow guest on the series, Kate Garraway.
Hammond confessed that she still talks to her mother “all the time”, adding that now they have a “more spiritual relationship”.
“I do talk to her all the time. When she died, it felt like a different sort of relationship with her – more spiritual. I know she’s there,” she said.
In response to Hammond’s explanation about her watch, several other fans shared some words of encouragement.
Alison Hammond responds to a tweet about her ‘Rolex'— (Twitter / Alison Hammond)
“No need to explain yourself Alison,” reads one message. “You’ve worked hard to get where you are and you’re entitled to wear whatever you like. It’s lovely that you cherish a gift from your late Mum.”
Hammond also hosts The Great British Bake Off on Channel 4 alongside Noel Fielding. In the most recent episode, she assisted a contestant who fell ill amid a heatwave in the baking tent.
