Alison Hammond may be one of the most in-demand presenters in the UK right now, but insists she is only just getting started.
The This Morning host, who also fronts The Great British Bake Off, first burst onto screens as a contestant on Big Brother in 2002 and has been a firm favourite with viewers ever since.
In fact, her schedule is so packed she admitted to turning down the highly coveted role of hosting Strictly Come Dancing.
She also nearly passed on her latest project, Channel 4 music series Your Song, for the same reason.
“I actually said to them, ‘Guys, I ain’t got no time to do this,’” she told The Standard and other journalists at the launch. “They got the whole team to come and talk to me about it… and then they told me the concept and I was like, ‘Oh no, man, they’ve got me. I’m in.’”
The show, which sees members of the public perform original songs on pop-up stages across the UK, is produced by the makers of The Piano and also features Sam Ryder and Paloma Faith.
“Your Song is raw, emotional and incredibly moving. It’s about real people and real feelings,” she said. “Working with Paloma and Sam was a dream. They’re both so generous and supportive.”
She was self-deprecating when it came to herself however.
“I wouldn’t say that I was at the peak of my career… there’s more to come, darling,” she said.
Hammond added that she had not fully realised how much her career had taken off until recently.
“I didn’t really until you say it… obviously it’s an incredible position to be in,” she said. “But you’ve got to remember the graft that came before that, where I wasn’t getting offered things like that.
“It’s a lovely moment… I’m so grateful. It’s an amazing position to be in, and I love my job.”
She also opened up about the confidence that has seen her take on a string of high-profile roles in recent years.
“Loads of times I’ve tried to talk myself out of doing jobs and thought, ‘I don’t think I can do that,’” she said.
“But if I know in my mind I can do it, I’ll go for it, even if I need a bit of training. For instance, For the Love of Dogs, I knew I wasn’t massively an expert, but you can learn on the job.”
She added: “Over the three years I’ve been doing it, I’ve learned so much. I even helped my friend with their dog the other day… I was like, ‘Oh my God, I’m a dog whisperer.
“So you know what, babes, you can learn on the job. Feel the fear and do it anyway.’”
Your Song starts on Channel 4 on April 12 at 9pm.
