Alison Hammond has sent the Strictly Come Dancing rumour mill into overdrive after boldly suggesting she might be stepping into Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman’s shoes when they bow out at the end of this year’s series.
The beloved TV star, 50, who fronts This Morning every Friday alongside Dermot O’Leary, has been expanding her TV résumé in recent years — from taking over The Great British Bake Off in 2023 to starring with her son Aidan on Celebrity Gogglebox, and even fronting her own BBC travel series, Alison Hammond’s Florida Unpacked.
But during her appearance on Loose Women today, Alison appeared to make her most daring career move yet, telling the panel that hosting Strictly would be her “dream job”. She then raised eyebrows — and the studio roof — when she suddenly joked, “Let’s announce it now, I am the new host of Strictly Come Dancing!”
Met with laughter and applause, she added with a grin that “the BBC don’t even know it yet”.
As conversation turned to Tess and Claudia’s upcoming departure, Alison doubled down, saying, “Whoever gets that job — what an amazing job to get. It is the dream job, I’d absolutely do it.” Staying true to her signature confidence, she continued, “Let’s be honest, they would be silly not to have me. Anybody who does that job I wish them the best, but you’ll always be thinking that if it’s not me, it should be Alison — so they might as well just give it me.”
Given her history with Strictly, many fans agree she might not be a far-fetched choice. Alison competed on the show in 2014 with pro dancer Aljaž Škorjanec, delivering a series of unforgettable routines before being voted out sixth. She later returned for the 2015 Christmas Special, finishing as runner-up to Harry Judd.
Reflecting on her time on the show, Alison once said she felt “better than ever,” recalling how she’d lost 5lb in just two days of training and describing the experience as “the fittest I’ve felt in my whole life”. But weight loss wasn’t her motivation: “The reason for me was mostly because I love the programme. It’s beautiful. What you gain from learning to dance properly is truly amazing — and if you lose weight along the way, that’s just a bonus.”
She compared dancing on Strictly to the joy of clubbing: “You know when you go clubbing and you can’t stop because you’re having such a good time? It’s like that. I always wanted to find something I really enjoy and I think I’ve found it.”
In the years since, Alison has continued her health journey — even losing 11 stone through major lifestyle changes, which she has insisted were achieved without weight-loss injections. “Twice a week I see my personal trainer… I walk, I stretch, I do a bit of yoga. I try to vary it so it’s not the same every day,” she told Women’s Health, explaining her commitment to eating better and staying consistent with exercise.
With Claudia and Tess preparing for an emotional farewell, fan speculation about their successor is at an all-time high — and Alison’s cheeky declaration may have just shaken up the shortlist.
