Alison Hammond is as much a part of the This Morning furniture as the trademark sofa, so viewers were sad to hear she was taking the whole of March off from the daytime show.
The adored presenter revealed in an Instagram post that she’d be spending the month moving into her new home and chilling with her 19-year-old son Aiden, who she shares with ex-fiancé Noureddine Boufaied.
And as Cat Deeley and Ben Shephard – Holly Willoughby and Phillip Schofield’s replacements – begin their full-time roles on the programme, our source close to Alison gave us an insight into her decision to drop back for a while.
We’re told, “It’s come at a time where it feels as though she has the world at her feet when it comes to opportunities in television. But the truth is, Alison is also in desperate need of a break right now. She’s happy that the timing has aligned for her to step away and watch from home while Cat and Ben get settled.
“Alison is just thrilled to be having some much-needed quality time with her son and to settle into her new home. Early on in her career, she would never have dreamed of taking this much time off, or feeling secure enough that she didn’t need to work. But even Alison admits that it’s time to enjoy herself and give herself some time to recharge.”
After years of climbing the ranks and making a name for herself since her 2002 debut, Alison, 49, became This Morning’s Friday co-host alongside Dermot O’Leary in 2020.
She has clocked up a number of additional TV gigs along the way, most recently replacing the late Paul O’Grady as presenter of For The Love Of Dogs.
She said in a recent interview that she’s “always got plans” and “things she wants to do next”, voicing hopes for a one-woman show.
But our source says that This Morning bosses will do whatever it takes to keep her happy, as she’s such a big favourite with the audience.
"Alison is a complete asset to This Morning and the bosses know that,” we’re told. “They were a bit worried about how she might react to the big changes going on, and hoped she wouldn’t feel sidelined by the announcement of Cat and Ben being given the main presenting slots. They know she doesn’t need the show, as she has so many other opportunities, so they’re keen to keep her sweet.”