Alison Hammond left podcast hosts gobsmacked and her Great British Bake Off co-star looking embarrassed after confessing she finds them "hot" following their newly debuted rugged look, which came about by mistake.
Alison's 'obsession' with Noel's beard
Channel 4's The Great British Bake Off has returned, with culinary icon Nigella Lawson, 66, stepping in to replace Prue Leith, bringing her wealth of expertise to the show's contestants. However, it isn't Nigella who has caught Alison's eye on this occasion, despite her glamour, but rather comedian and actor Noel Fielding, 53.
Despite being in a relationship with a man 22 years her junior, Alison didn't hesitate to tell her co-star that she thought he looked particularly impressive after he made one notable change to his appearance, saying it had made a world of difference.
Reaction on the Dish Podcast
On Waitrose's Dish Podcast, hosted by Nick Grimshaw and Michelin-starred chef Angela Hartnett, Alison revealed: "I've never seen Noel with a beard, and I am obsessed". It emerged she wasn't alone in her admiration, with Nick also responding with an enthusiastic "yeah" upon hearing of her fixation with the new facial hair.
Alison playfully joked that she could barely wait for the podcast to wrap up so she could get closer to him, despite the fact that he is married to Lliana Bird with two children. While it was clearly nothing more than light-hearted banter, she cranked up the flirtatious energy throughout the recording, leaving many listeners in fits of laughter at her boldness.
Noel's 'exclusive' beard reveal
"I feel like you've always had one," Nick remarked about Noel's beard, though many will recall that he previously sported sideburns and a clean-shaven look not so long ago. "This is amazing, you are hot," Alison gushed, clearly taken aback by how attractive her co-star appeared with facial hair.
Noel laughed, describing it as "an exclusive," explaining that the beard had emerged simply because he was away on holiday and hadn't bothered shaving. The result, as it turned out, was rather flattering.
Alison then remarked that her dynamic with Dermot O'Leary, her colleague on ITV's This Morning, resembles that of siblings, but with Noel, she insisted "it's not" like "brother-sister" at all. "It's more like a friendship...with benefits," she declared, prompting the entire studio to erupt into laughter and cheers at Alison's audacious remark.
Viewer reactions
In the comments section, someone quipped that "Noel was definitely blushing," and he certainly appeared to be at one moment during the exchange. "How could she not love Noel? Don't we all?" another person wrote.
However, some viewers weren't comfortable with the manner in which Alison was addressing Noel, with one woman suggesting that if the roles were reversed, there would be complaints. She wrote: "While I can see the fun they are having - I can't help feeling if it was directed at a woman it might not be viewed the same - Noel does look a bit uncomfortable".
