Kate Lawler has set her sights on the main This Morning sofa alongside close friend Alison Hammond, 24 years after the pair first met on series three of Big Brother. The 46-year-old presenter, fresh from hosting Big Brother: The Group Chat, said she has been asking producers to let her step up on the ITV morning show, where she currently presents live competitions and segments.
Speaking exclusively to the Mirror, Lawler stressed she is not trying to replace Dermot O'Leary. "I'm the silly one now on This Morning. But Alison and I, like I've always said that I would love to host the show with Alison," she said.
Not Gunning for Dermot's Job
"Not that I'm trying to take Dermot's job! But we always say to Vivek who runs it, 'Put us on together, Vivek! We'd love to host together'. We still would love to do something together. I don't know what that is."
She added: "But I would love to do that show if Dermot has a sick day. But I'm definitely not trying to take his job, because Dermot and Alison are just the best duo, and you can tell their chemistry is genuine. They genuinely get on, they love each other. But we still would love to do that show together one day."
Surprise at GK Barry Chemistry
Lawler also spoke about her partnership with GK Barry on the Big Brother spin-off, admitting she was surprised at how well they gelled. "When I did a screen test with GK, I was just like, she is laugh-out-loud funny, and if I'm not doing the show with her, I don't want to do it with anyone else. She is jokes, and she made my belly laugh every day. She's probably one of the funniest people I know, just loved working with her."
The Big Brother series three winner was widely praised for her link-up with GK Barry on this year's spin-off show.
Pooch & Mutt Christmas Campaign
Lawler was speaking ahead of the launch of Pooch & Mutt's Christmas range, where she is an ambassador. She praised the company's work, particularly its calming range, and its partnership with Woodgreen Pets, a rehoming charity. "I love working with them," she said. "The range is great, they're for every breed, every need..."
She encouraged people to consider rescue dogs this Christmas: "If anyone is thinking about getting a dog for Christmas, please consider rescues, because so many people think, 'Oh no, a rescue's going to be a problematic dog.' You can get like puppies in rescue, you can get young dogs through no fault of their own who've come into rescue, they're not all problematic. So, I love that they work with the charity as well."
Lawler has two dogs of her own: Shirley, an eight-year-old mixed-breed terrier rescue, and Baxter, a 16-year-old border terrier. Speaking of Baxter, she said: "He's been the most constant thing in my life as an adult. I haven't even been with my husband that long. He has been through house moves, through breakups, through everything: jobs. And, honestly, he's getting to the end-of-life stage now. He's deaf, he's got osteoarthritis, he has his acupuncture once a month, but he is just still going strong. I don't know how long he's got left, it's quite sad. But it's one of those things in life where you never kind of know when the right time is, and I don't ever want it to get too horrible for him."
This Christmas, Pooch & Mutt is celebrating the role dogs play in festive traditions, with the range including the new Festive Gingerbread Dog Advent Calendar and Festive Pigs in Blankets Meaty Treats, combining seasonal flavours with functional health benefits for all breeds and needs.
