Dermot O’Leary speaks out on hosting This Morning with Alison Hammond and admits ‘viewers

Dermot O’Leary has spoken out about presenting This Morning and how he found it difficult at first hosting alongside Alison Hammond. 

The television personality, 50, admitted he didn’t know Alison, 48, before fronting the show and so it took time for them to work as a presenting duo, two months after the Mail On Sunday revealed relationships between the pair had become strained. 

Dermot also hinted at This Morning’s huge upheaval this year after Phillip Schofield stepped down when he confessed to having an affair with a younger male colleague. 

Seemingly paying reference to the end of Holly Willoughby and Phillip’s TV partnership, Dermot said the ‘viewers can if two presenters aren’t getting on’. 

‘This is only my third year of being on This Morning proper, but there’s 35 years of history to live up to. Why has it lasted so long? We reflect the country — our stories might be frivolous, serious or uplifting,’ Dermot told The Times. 

Honest: Dermot O’Leary has spoken out about presenting This Morning and how he found it difficult at first hosting alongside Alison Hammond

‘Now we’re like family’: The television personality, 50, admitted he didn’t know Alison, 48, before fronting the show and so it took time for them to work as a presenting duo

‘The presenters make a difference too. If two people aren’t getting on, the viewers can see that. 

‘Alison Hammond, my co-host, and I didn’t really know each other when we started working together but now we’re like family. I think there’s an honesty to that.’

In July, the Mail On Sunday revealed relationships between Alison and Dermot had become increasingly strained. 

One insider on the show said: ‘Alison and Dermot got off to a tricky start, they had very different levels of experience and came from totally different places but they then did start to rub along quite nicely.

‘Recently though things have become strained and it is worrying the bosses, they fear that this couple they put together which they had hoped would carry the show through the tough times it is enduring may have to present apart a bit more.

‘As for Holly and Alison, they were as thick as thieves. Alison even invited Holly to stay at her house recently, something which Holly then shared with the This Morning viewers, which surprised Alison.’ 

Afterwards the pair silenced reports by posting a video of them dancing together on Instagram.

Keen to clear up any reports of drama, as a fan commented ‘Wow the tension between you two is palpable’, Alison simply responded with a laughing face emoji.

It comes as Alison, Holly and This Morning suffered a huge blow as the show lost its 12-year winning streak at the NTAs following the Phillip Schofield scandal. 

The show has won the Daytime award for more than a decade but following the Phillip scandal, the programme lost out to The Repair Show. 

Ant McPartlin and Declan Donnelly claimed their 22nd NTA at the annual ceremony following a successful return to the Australian jungle with ITV1 juggernaut I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here!

But the audience appeared to be hoping Alison would bag the award for her presenting role on This Morning as she stepped up in the wake of the furore following Phillip stepping down over his affair with a younger male colleague. 

The TV host, 48, got a louder cheer than the Geordie duo and simply shrugged her shoulders as she was defeated. 

Meanwhile, on Wednesday’s This Morning Holly stayed very positive as she simply thanked fans for their support and heaped praise on The Repair Shop. 

‘A massive thank you for voting for us and getting us through to the short list, so thank you always for your love and support,’ she gushed. 

Speaking of The Repair Shop’s host Jay Blades, Holly gushed over his kindness and told how they shared a hug after his win.

She said: ‘A huge congratulations to The Repair Shop, well done you. Jay Blades, just a special squeeze and lots of love to him, he ran over to us and gave us all a big cuddle which I just thought was class and gorgeous, I didn’t want to let go.’

While Craig Doyle added of the occasion: ‘Lovely man, lovely atmosphere in that part of the room, it’s like a lovely Christmas party.’

Oh dear! It comes as Alison, Holly Willoughby and This Morning suffered a huge blow as the show lost its 12-year winning streak at the NTAs

Scandal: Dermot also hinted at This Morning’s huge upheaval this year after Phillip Schofield stepped down when he confessed to having an affair with a younger male colleague