Angela Scanlon stepped in to host This Morning alongside Dermot O'Leary on Friday after Alison Hammond was absent from the programme despite being billed to appear.
Hammond and O'Leary usually front the ITV daytime show together on Fridays, taking over from Ben Shephard and Cat Deeley. However, viewers tuning in at 10am were surprised to find Scanlon in Hammond's place.
The switch came after Thursday's programme had teased Friday's episode as featuring “Alison and Dermot” interviewing Hollywood star Jason Momoa “as Scotland take on Morocco Lorraine Kelly is live in Boston.”
Instead, O'Leary welcomed Scanlon to the studio, joking: “Welcome to your Friday's This Morning... and look who's here, it's Angela Scanlon, everyone!” He then dropped to one knee in mock celebration before embracing his co-host.
Neither presenter addressed Hammond's absence during the broadcast, leaving viewers to speculate online. “Interesting, seems to be a last-minute substitution,” one viewer wrote on X. “Haven't they referenced a few times this week that Jason Momoa would be in the studio with Alison and Dermot?” “No Alison,” another simply penned.
The Standard has contacted ITV for comment.
Earlier this week, Hammond appeared on Good Morning Britain where she discussed filming the latest instalment of the Great British Bake Off. In January, it was confirmed that Nigella Lawson would step into the Bake Off tent following Dame Prue Leith’s decision to leave the Channel 4 show.
Earlier this year, Leith confirmed she would be departing the series after nine years as a judge alongside Paul Hollywood, saying it felt like the “right time to step back”. After landing the job, Lawson said in a statement: “I’m just thrilled to be joining the team and all the new bakers to come, I wish the marvellous Prue all the best, and am giddily grateful for the opportunity!”
Discussing how the TV chef was settling into her new role, Hammond told GMB hosts Susanna Reid and Martin Lewis: “She is having an absolute ball. She’s having such a good time. Her and Paul, chemistry is brilliant and it’s going to be... the contestants are wonderful. These are amateur bakers and they are so professional,” she added.
