Alison Hammond has been praised for her 'perfect' response to Katie Hopkins's trolling after a health scare that forced her off This Morning.
On Friday, the popular broadcaster, 51, was rushed away from the set by co-host Dermot O'Leary and was seen clutching her chest. Off-camera, Alison was heard panting and retching, sparking concern among viewers as they desperately waited for an update, having read that she was reportedly taken to hospital.
A few hours later, a smiling Alison reassured everyone that she was fine and having her 'old ticker' checked because of the 'palpitations'. To everyone's relief, she was discharged the morning after and informed her Instagram followers that she'd had a 'panic attack'.
Katie Hopkins' mocking video
Despite the frightening ordeal, though, Alison remains her famously classy self in the face of negativity, offering Katie a compliment even after she referred to her as previously being 'the size of a brick s**tshed'.
In a video posted on social media, Katie, 51, began: 'I may be away from the UK right now, but please just tell me I didn't just see Alison Hammond on ITV News because she may have had a minor panic attack on TV.
'Please tell me that ITV News' main feature wasn't Alison Hammond – who used to be a significant chumba womba, about the size of a brick s**tshed, to be quite honest with you – because she thought she might have had a minor panic attack.'
Katie then called it a 'miracle' how Alison was 'immediately rushed to hospital' and 'immediately put in a hospital bed'.
'Immediately in a hospital gown and immediately on social media to let people know that, "Ooh, maybe, hopefully I'll be OK. We can't be certain, but I think maybe I might have had a minor panic attack, and I've made maximum fuss about it",' she mocked.
She then raged: 'Could you please have some respect? There are people out there, in the universe, with actual conditions, chronic conditions, that make their everyday hell, that make them not able to use the stairs or go in the shower alone, or they're overcoming some horrific illness, or they've got a terminal diagnosis.'
Blasting the 'nation' in her fatphobic rant, she accused people of having a 'fixation on a former chumba womba who may have had a bit of a dicky moment for two seconds'.
'I mean, seriously? And also, whatever happened to "my body, my choice? Oh my God, I am so happy to be fat; I love being a chumba womba! Look how fat I am! I'm so proud! I am beautiful on the inside and the out!"
'All of those b******s p***ed off, didn't they? As soon as GLP-1s came. Ozempic, Wegovy… suddenly, "my body, my choice" – oh, no! Actually, I'd rather be skinny all along.'
Katie claimed she is 'not casting aspersions' that Alison is using weight-loss injections, despite her getting 'smaller by the day' and her face 'changing quite extraordinarily'.
'I'm just saying, don't expect your body to shed weight without there being other consequences. Mostly, just get a grip!'
'Just do whatever it is you do,' she concluded directly to Alison. 'Eat.'
Alison's classy response
Katie's video has been viewed well over a million times, including by Alison herself, who commented on her Instagram Reel: 'I'm still a Chumba womba babs !! ❤️ I thought it was a heart attack it was very scary . I wouldn't wish it on anyone , even you cos you are beautiful on inside and out ♥️'
Fans lauded Alison for rising above the jibes, and reminded Katie that 'there is a person on the other side of the screen'.
@lana__jw replied: 'classy response. I hope you're feeling better. ❤️🤞🏻'
@mays_unfiltered_life75 added: 'and that's how a woman handles her business. So glad you're feeling better. Panic attacks are scary !!!!!'
Alison was also showered with love by her This Morning colleagues Ben Shephard and Cat Deeley today, who opened the show with an update.
'We had a little bit of a scare on Friday, didn't we?', Ben began.
Cat replied: 'We did. We wanted to start with some good news, please, about Alison after she fell unwell during the show. She was taken to hospital for checks, but now, thankfully, she's been given the all clear.'
The Tipping Point host assured viewers she is 'at home and resting', feeling 'a lot better'.
'We love you, Al,' he said. 'Sending lots of love.'
He then said Alison sent him a 'lovely message', detailing the support she was receiving at home, joking that she was 'mostly disappointed that she missed out on the Saturday soup that was being cooked on Friday's show'.
'She was gonna try and do some over the weekend, so maybe we can recreate it for her this Friday if she's feeling better.'
Alison's health and weight loss journey
Over the weekend, Alison posted a video to her Instagram Story after being discharged, explaining that she is 'really new to panic attacks' so had to 'learn more about them'. She praised 'incredible' Dermot for his immediate assistance and said she 'didn't necessarily want to be on the news' for her scare.
The Great British Bake Off presenter, who became known on the 2002 series of Big Brother, has spoken openly about her health and weight loss journey in recent years. After receiving a pre-diabetes diagnosis, she overhauled her lifestyle and lost more than 11 stone naturally through diet and exercise.
Speaking to The Telegraph in April, she poked fun at comments saying she is 'so skinny now'.
'I'm still overweight! I'm a size 20! I'm by far not at my ideal weight for my height.
'But the main thing is my diabetes is now in the optimum range.'
Insisting that she 'likes being bigger than everyone', she said she 'doesn't want to take up less space in the world'.
'I want to fill that space.'
