Alison Hammond has disclosed that she was named after Muhammad Ali, as her father was a close friend and bodyguard to the boxing legend. The 47-year-old presenter shared the revelation on Holly Willoughby's Wylde Moon podcast.
Hammond recalled meeting Ali as a child when he visited Birmingham. She said her father and a couple of other men served as his bodyguards. 'Occasionally my mum would take me to go and meet Muhammad Ali,' she explained.
She described her first encounter at age six, when Ali picked her up and said she looked like his daughter. 'He just wouldn't let go of me. Muhammad Ali had me on his lap and he was cuddling me,' she said, adding that she was initially trying to pull away.
Hammond also remembered Ali giving her a magic trick—a traffic light that changed colours. She said it was only later that she realised his significance. Her father named three of his children after the boxer: Alison, Ali, and Alica.
Hammond recently celebrated her 47th birthday on This Morning, with fans expressing surprise at her age. She also shared a photo with her son Aiden, who shares her birthday.
