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Evening Standard
Evening Standard
Entertainment

Who is Alison Hammond? Presenter makes bid to be new Britain’s Got Talent judge

Alison Hammond has been gracing our screens for 20 years

(Picture: Shane Anthony Sinclair / Getty Images)

Alison Hammond has become a national treasure thanks in part to her contagious laugh, joyous nature, and bubbly personality.

And she recently teased she may be joining the Britain’s Got Talent judging panel.

Hammond was joined by her co-host Dermot O’Leary and guest Simon Cowell on This Morning, where they discussed the popular show.

Her comments came after original judge David Walliams was embroiled in controversy after expletive-heavy comments related to an elderly contestant and a young woman, which forced him to apologise and later quit the show.

Who is Alison Hammond?

Hammond initially found fame in the Big Brother house in 2002 and was the second person to be evicted.

However, she became a showbiz reporter for This Morning after her eviction, for three months, returning permanently nearly 20 years later.

The television personality is also an actress, appearing in Palace Hill (1988 – 1991), Hollyoaks (1995), Doctors (2002), and The Dumping Ground (2016).

Early life and career

Hammond was born and raised in the north Birmingham district of Kingstanding and attended Cardinal Wiseman School.

She participated in a number of drama workshops at a young age and appeared in Boon and Chalkface.

Despite early acting roles, it was her appearance on Big Brother which got her recognised, and she later appeared in a string of television programmes including Celebrity Fit Club, Celebrities Under Pressure, Big Star’s Little Star, Celebrity Stars in Their Eyes, Celebrity Ready Steady Cook, and Daily Cooks Challenge.

She is no stranger to reality television and has featured in a string of shows since her stint on Big Brother, including I’m a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here! (2010), Celebrity Coach Trip (2012), Strictly Come Dancing (2014), Celebrity Masterchef (2014), and I Can See Your Voice (2020), to name a few.

Personal life

Hammond still resides in Birmingham with her son, Aiden. She was married to Noureddine Boufaied, a Manchester taxi driver, but the pair later divorced.

She is currently dating someone but has never revealed who he is.

Hammond said of him on This Morning, in her usual jocular style, “You’ve got to be proud of your other half. So yeah, I have got somebody guys. I’m off the market, I’m so sorry guys!”

Is Alison joining Britain’s Got Talent?

On Wednesday (December 14), O’Leary suggested to Cowell, 63, on This Morning that she would be a great judge on Britain’s Got Talent, if he ever needed one...

“Talking BGT, if you need an extra judge, I couldn’t endorse her more. This one would literally bring the house down in the Palladium,” he said.

Watch this space.

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