Alison Hammond insists Strictly hosting job is ‘hers’ as she shares relationship update with 28-year-old boyfriend

The TV presenter has confidently declared she should replace Claudia Winkleman whilst opening up about her love life

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Alison Hammond insists she’d be the perfect replacement for Claudia Winkleman(Image: Ken McKay/ITV/Shutterstock)

Alison Hammond admits she has her eye on becoming one of the new hosts of Strictly Come Dancing and gave an update on her blossoming relationship with her 28-year-old boyfriend. The TV star, 50, is amongst those rumoured to be in the running to replace Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman on the hit BBC dance contest.

Tess and Claudia shocked fans back in October when they announced that they would be stepping down from their hosting duties on the programme at the end of the current series. BBC bosses are now on the hunt for a new hosting duo with the likes of Alison, Amanda Holden and Zoe Ball reportedly in the mix.

Throughout 2025, Alison has graced our screens with her infectious personality across four major programmes: The Great British Bake Off, This Morning, Alison Hammond’s Big Weekend, and Alison Hammond’s Florida Unpacked – the latter alongside her son, Aiden. Following a busy year, the TV presenter shared her plans for a quiet Christmas.

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Alison Hammond joined The Great British Bake Off as a co-host in March 2023(Image: Channel 4 / Love Productions)

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“I’m going to tone it down this year, babes, I’m not going to lie,” she told the Mirror. “I have been killing it every single Christmas – you know, at least 12 people coming round for lunch – so I might just go out to a lovely restaurant with my beautiful son and my boyfriend, just the three of us. Then I don’t have to cook… or wash up.”

The 50-year-old has been in a relationship with masseur and model David Putman, 28, since the beginning of last year. Speaking about their 22-year age difference, she has previously said that whilst David is “mature and sensible” and she’s “so not”, they complement each other perfectly.

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“Things are going really, really well,” she says. “He just has the most beautiful energy and everyone feels it when they’re in his presence. It’s very rare. I am so grateful that he chooses to spend his life with me.” Whilst Alison, who rose to prominence on the third series of Big Brother in 2002, already appeared content with her life, her relationship with David has enhanced her sense of gratitude.

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Alison declared love for her boyfriend David in a new update(Image: Instagram)

“It’s a lovely feeling to be in love,” she remarks. “It makes you more patient, it makes you kinder, because you’ve always got somebody you want to care for – and they’re caring for you.” It’s evident that Alison is besotted with David, prompting speculation about whether a Christmas engagement could be on the horizon for the presenter.

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“I think this is a question you need to ask my fella, not me,” she laughs. “No, there are no plans for weddings or marriage right now, because we don’t feel like we need to. We live together and we’re happy the way it is. I don’t need a ring to show my love to somebody.” However, after a momentary pause, she continues: “What I will say is, if he asked me tomorrow to marry him, it wouldn’t be a ‘no’. That’s all I’m going to say to you.”

With her romantic life flourishing, the conversation shifts to television – and a particular prominent vacancy that appears tailor-made for Alison. Once more, the broadcaster speaks candidly – she’s unmistakably interested in the Strictly position. “They’d be silly not to go for me with the Claudia [Winkleman] role, up in the gods, talking to all the contestants. We all know that is my job,” she declares with assurance. “If they don’t go for me, that’s OK. It wasn’t my path. I’ve had quite a lot already, so you know, I don’t want to be greedy. But guys, that is my job.”

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Alison and her partner David(Image: Instagram)

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“You’ve got to visualise it and see it – and I see it. So whoever gets that job, good luck to them. But it probably will be me.” Laughing, she declares, “That’s your headline: ‘Alison for Strictly !’ Let’s just put it out there.” Should her forecast prove accurate, who would Alison choose as her ‘Tess Daly’?

“I could get on with anyone,” she remarks, suggesting that Amanda Holden, Davina McCall and her This Morning colleague Dermot O’Leary would all be suitable candidates. “I could do a Vernon Kay, too. Don’t you worry, I could do ’em all. But if I was the producers – and this is me doing myself out of a job, really – I’d sign up Davina McCall and Amanda Holden.”

There’s little question that Alison possesses the golden touch at present, yet when pressed to reveal the formula behind her achievements, she maintains she’s reached this point purely by remaining authentic. “I believe I can bring joy to people,” she says. “If you Google ‘Alison’s best bits’, they can actually take you out of a dark space. I don’t take that lightly and that’s what gives me confidence – knowing that I’m helping people. We need joy right now.”

When it comes to what truly matters in Alison’s life, her son Aiden, 20, an aspiring music producer, sits firmly at the top. “He’s my everything,” she beams. “I love the fact he actually wants to be with me now, because there was a time in his teenage years where I was the last person he wanted to be around. But he’s come full circle now and wants to spend time with his mum. That’s a really lovely feeling.”

Looking ahead, Alison has hopes of co-presenting This Morning well into her later years. but says she’s ‘had it all’ already. “There might be a day where they tell me, ‘Alison, there’s no more work for you on TV,’” she says. “And you know what, if it did end tomorrow and it was my time, I’ve had it all, I really have. I’m so happy and grateful for everything that I’ve achieved and that people have accepted me into their lives when I’ve not had to change anything. I’ve just had to be myself. It’s a lovely feeling. Because honestly, my life so far has been wonderful.”