It’s tough not to wake up every day, brush my teeth, grab a coffee and thank the TV gods for Alison Hammond. Yes, you read that correctly.
Perhaps the most iconic TV personality currently on our screens, she is the medicine the world needs right now, and here is why.
The news, the world, the economy and our (ok, my-sad-self) dating lives, are just some of the downers we face presently… need I go on? So, light relief in the form of a 48-year-old, loveable lady from Birmingham, is exactly the pill that I want to swallow to drown it all out. Because when life gets a little heavy, frankly, I’ve realised, you need a little bit of Hammond.
And I stand by it.
It’s slightly unsettling to think that Alison Hammond entered the Big Brother house over 20 years ago, in 2002. Where the hell has time gone? Harder to believe, perhaps, that at 27-years-old, she also only lasted just 14 days in the iconic house during Season Three. A season with a stand-out cast, nonetheless.
So, with such a short stint, an infectious laugh (it was once my ringtone,) and a table break moment in the house that will make you immediately run back to YouTube to relive it over and over again, how did Alison Hammond capture our hearts?
Well, it’s firstly thanks to This Morning. Knowing a good thing when they saw it, the daytime TV show had Alison as a regular roving reporting and celebrity interviewee from the outset. Good choice!
Giving her a job and a microphone, she created moment after moment alongside TV favourites, rising quickly in the likability factor with outstanding celebrity interviews. I mean, you only have to watch the Ryan Gosling and Harrison Ford interview as proof of the presenter’s incredible presence and ability to bring happiness to just about any situation. Come on, she’d never even watched the first movie that they discussed and smashed out a must-watch feature whilst in fits of giggles… Genius.
Having then climbed the popularity polls on shows such as I’m a Celeb, Strictly Come Dancing and Celebrity MasterChef, Alison continued to shine with everything that her laugh penetrated. Because boy, does that chuckle work magic!
It’s literally laughter therapy.
And, let’s face it, we need that laugh. We deserve it. Bottle it up, put it as your ringtone (again). It will help you. You’re having a rough day; news stories are getting you down and the date from last week has ghosted you (for the third time,) and deleted you from their Hinge profile? No worries. You know what you need… Alison Hammond doing the weather on a floating map in Liverpool and accidentally knocking a sailor into the water.
Yes, that happened. I snorted. Google it.
Or, perhaps you need Alison telling Michael Bublé that her favourite Christmas song wasn’t one of his, and then in fact, continuing to serenade him with the one that she preferred. Iconic. Hilarious.
I swear, after a bad Teams meeting and over 100 emails you need the courage to open, YouTube Alison Hammond feeding Hugh Jackman chocolates… You’re welcome.
Moment after moment. Meme after meme.
But mark my words, we aren’t laughing at Alison, we are laughing with her. Because make no mistake of it, Alison Hammond did not just fall into our laps one Friday evening whilst we sat on the sofa eating popcorn (again)… she worked really damn hard to get there!
It isn’t just her candid interviews, raw emotional realness, or relatable references to an often out-of-reach showbiz world, it’s her heart that she consistently leads with. Which, as a nation, we’ve fallen in love with.
Despite often coming under fire, most recently for hosting the BAFTAs, Alison has continued to work and prove to everyone that she is far from just a ‘reality TV star,’ with further speculation that she’ll also be the one to replace Holly Willoughby on This Morning, when the time comes. Impressive for that girl from Big Brother, right?
So, UK, the World, everybody, enjoy her. Applaud her. Adore her. Respect her. Most importantly, laugh with her.
Laughter has been recognised to increase endorphins released by our brains, enhancing our oxygen-rich air intake and stimulating the lungs, heart and muscles. It’s medically important for us to do.
Don’t get me mistaken, the world has a lot going on, devasting things are playing out and unimaginable awful events repeatedly occur. Serious issues and injustices that weigh heavy on me, and will continue to do so as we live in hope. But the uncertain times don’t only call for united fronts and desperate change, they call for glimpses of joy wherever we can find them, and moments of escapism.
Alison Hammond is certainly not the answer for all our problems, but right now, in a world like ours, my gosh do we need her light.
So, I urge you all. Dive down the internet rabbit hole, find the Alison gems that are waiting to be seen and continue to laugh with that brilliant force of talent.
Because that is talent. Undoubtedly, unashamedly and unquestionably.
A gem-lister, in a sea of z’s, proving that 14 days really can change your life if you have the right attitude, passion and heart.
Alison, we can’t wait to see what you do next, the world is watching. We need that laugh.
Thank you.
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