Dermot O'Leary has dismissed rumours of a 'bust-up' with co-host Alison Hammond on ITV's This Morning, calling them 'all bulls**t' in a new interview. The pair have presented the Friday slot together since 2021, winning over viewers with their bubbly personalities and dance breaks.
Addressing the Rumours
In an interview with the Radio Times, O'Leary was asked about a 'rocky patch' the show experienced several years ago. He responded: 'It was hard, because we were doing a show that, through no fault of our own, was on the cover of newspapers for 50 days on the trot. But in terms of day-to-day stories, I don't even look at them. Because we'll finish an item, I'll look one way and Alison will look the other, and the papers will be like, “Bust-up on This Morning” It's all bulls**t.'
Hammond added: 'You've got to be free to say what you want, and give your opinions. If you start editing yourself, you'll lose the live element that people love.'
A Strong Friendship
O'Leary, 53, previously discussed how he and Hammond came together during the pandemic on Irish TV show Ireland AM. He said: 'We couldn't meet for lunch. We couldn't even do a pilot together. When we first started, we just started on air and I was sat here and she'd be sat there. At the time, we couldn't go two metres next to each other. And we were very honest with the viewers. We just said “look we don't know each other super well, we're going to get to know each other on screen”. Five years down the line, and she's one of my best mates and we get on, she's like a sister to me and we get on really well, and we're really proud of where the show has come because of that.'
Hammond revealed she thinks she and O'Leary 'could fake' getting on if they 'weren't talking to each other', but O'Leary disagreed, saying his co-host has only been unhappy with him 'two or three times'. He added: 'I don't like the idea of making Ali unhappy. One, because she's such a good friend and two, because she's basically a Jamaican mother, and you don't want to get on the wrong side of her… But we have a great relationship. I think I've taught Alison to take life a bit more seriously, and she's taught me to take it a bit less seriously.'
Background on This Morning
O'Leary and Hammond took over the Friday slot after former couple Eamonn Holmes and Ruth Langsford left after 14 years. In May 2023, Phillip Schofield left the series after admitting to an 'unwise but not illegal' affair with a younger colleague. Co-host Holly Willoughby continued presenting but stepped down months later.
