Alison Hammond to return as host of beloved series despite rumours she would be replaced
SHE had big shoes to fill after the sad death of Paul O’Grady – but Alison Hammond has proved to be a worthy successor as host of For The Love Of Dogs.
I can reveal that not only is there a new series arriving this spring, it will have her back as presenter.
A TV insider said: “Alison wasn’t an obvious choice to take over from Paul, who was a devout dog lover.
“She wasn’t exactly known for her adoration of canines, unlike lots of other pooch-owning celebrities who were in the frame at one stage.
“But the feeling is that she has bedded into the role and another series was always on the horizon.”
Paul — an ambassador for the famous dogs’ home — had hosted the ITV1 programme from 2012, and his final series began airing in April 2023, a month after he died suddenly aged 67 from cardiac arrhythmia.
Last April, Alison made her debut as host of the show, which is based at the Battersea Cats And Dogs Home in South West London.
After the six-part series ended in May, there were reports that she might be replaced.
But then came the Christmas special, and the new series is expected to air this spring.
Popular Alison, who started out as a housemate on Big Brother in 2002, is currently one of TV’s golden girls.
So perhaps her biggest hurdle is fitting in For The Love Of Dogs around all her other telly commitments.
As well as co-hosting The Great British Bake Off for Channel 4, and This Morning on ITV, she also has two projects coming up for the BBC — her unconventional chat show, Big Weekend, as well as travel programme Florida Unpacked.
After presenting all of that lot, no one would blame her for being dog tired.
Big Bro in Titan new digs
BIG BROTHER has a new home – where it will be in illustrious company.
ITV will set up shop at west London’s Titan Studios, where Game Of Thrones was once filmed.
The new digs has more than 200,000sq ft of production space, suggesting bosses are looking to supersize the spy house ready for Celebrity Big Brother this spring.
Planning applications also indicate producers are seeking to retain an external set for eviction shows.
It comes after the previous set, at north London’s Garden Studios, faced continual disturbances from fans cruising past on the adjacent canal.
Both Big Brother and its star-spangled sister will return this year – for their 22nd and 24th series – having been streamed 100million times on ITVX.
Will Best and AJ Odudu will be back to host from the new site – let’s hope the move helps with their commutes.
Linda’s gong viral
RETIRED opera singer Linda Rands might be floundering in The Traitors, but she’s an award winner outside the castle.
In a hilarious move, the BBC put up a poster in London’s West End, celebrating Linda’s acting skills after Friday’s episode.
From the off, viewers have been in stitches over the 70-year-old’s OTT performances.
The billboard, outside the Vue cinema in Leicester Square, showed Linda clasping a gong shaped like a hooded cloak-wearing Traitor.
Alluding to the recent Golden Globes, it states: “The Golden Cloak Awards, Linda: The Performance of a Lifetime Award.”
It came after Linda, who is a Traitor, chose to slay her castle pal Livi Deane.
She confessed: “I did think this is a good thing I can play on. I am ready to perform like it’s the last role of my life. I avoided suspicion by doing a bit of crying.”
When Livi’s murder was revealed, Linda sobbed: “Oh God – she’s my little girl. I loved her.”
The move fell flat, though, and landed her in more hot water.
Charlotte Berman, a Faithful, said: “I just thought, ‘fake’.”
Linda’s fellow Traitor Minah Shannon sniped: “It made her look really guilty. She overdid the performance – she didn’t need to.”
The Golden Cloak Awards committee clearly disagrees.
Amanda lands a boost
THE BBC has added stars from Gavin & Stacey, Line of Duty and Derry Girls to its Motherland spin-off series, Amandaland.
Samuel Anderson, who played Gav’s pal Fingers, Rochenda Sandall from the cop drama and Siobhan McSweeney from the hit Irish sitcom have joined the cast.
The series, which lands next month, will focus on Amanda (Lucy Punch), who is navigating life post-divorce in a new part of London.
Joanna Lumley plays her mum Felicity but fan favourite Anna Maxwell-Martin won’t return as Julia.
Tanya Qureshi, Head of Comedy at the BBC said: “We can’t wait for audiences to see Amanda’s new chapter, brought to life by a talented cast and wonderfully sharp characters.”
Flop’s no Masked Zinger
AMANDA HOLDEN’s brave choice of dress amid the freezing temperatures wasn’t the only revealing thing at the Britain’s Got Talent auditions.
A wannabe took to the stage in Blackpool in a giant bald eagle costume that looked as extravagant as those worn by celebrities on fellow ITV show The Masked Singer.
After failing to impress the judges with a string of bad jokes, and rejecting Simon Cowell‘s suggestion he sing instead, the contestant was asked by the panel if they could meet the man behind the mask.
And the crowd instantly started chanting “Take it off” – just like the studio audience during episodes of The Masked Singer.
A show insider said: “Simon looked a bit baffled as Amanda laughed.
“She seemed to have to explain it’s the famous chant from The Masked Singer.
“The contestant refused to be unmasked, though – probably a good thing because his jokes were awful.”
Bloody hit is top of clots
SIMON COWELL sucked “blood” through a man’s head as a creepy American brought a horror show to Britain’s Got Talent auditions.
The tattoo-covered contestant took to the stage in a Traitors-style cloak before revealing a string of gruesome stunts, which left the judges and the audience at Blackpool’s Winter Gardens screaming.
In one move, he fed a tube down his nose and out of his mouth before placing one end in a bottle of liquid that looked like blood and asked Simon to suck the other end.
As the liquid left the bottle and made its way through the tube in his head to Simon’s lips, no one could believe their eyes.
Show boss Simon praised the horror show afterwards.
He said: “I mean this as a compliment – you are disgusting. Brilliant but disgusting.”
Amanda added: “It was like my own private showing of Saw the movie. That was horrifically brilliant.”