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Alison Hammond grew emotional as she recalled the period when she was struggling to find work, despite already being a household name.
The TV personality and presenter rose to fame after competing on the third series of Channel 4’s Big Brother, ultimately becoming the second contestant to be voted out.
By 2007, she had made appearances as a panellist on the daytime chat show Loose Women, on Celebrity Ready Steady Cook and Celebrity Fit Club, as well as conducting interviews with stars such as George Clooney for ITV’s This Morning.
However, the popular presenter, 49, struggled to secure regular work and had nothing else lined up, she told The Observer.
“There was a time when I couldn’t find work,” she said, “and I was really famous.” She got a job at her local hair salon: “I’d answer the phone, do a few blow dries.”
Beginning to cry, the national treasure continued: “It’s not all good all of the time. But I was all right, you know? That’s television, it’s fickle and it’s part of my journey, part of my power.”
Despite her ever-growing fanbase, Hammond said she still didn’t take her job for granted, suggesting a renewed hosting gig on The Great British Bake Off wasn’t set in stone.
“And that’s OK,” she said. “I know I’ll be OK, because I’ve been OK before. I’ll go and work at Tesco and people will still love me.”
She took a break from her co-presenting slot with Dermot O’Leary on This Morning last month, jokingly telling viewers that “even you need a break from me”.
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A rotating cast of hosts, including radio presenter Sian Welby, Loose Women host Rochelle Humes and Big Brother winner Josie Gibson, covered for her.
The Birmingham presenter also hosts For the Love of Dogs after the death of the show’s beloved original host, Paul O’Grady.
News of Hammond’s appointment was met with criticism from internet trolls, something the TV star addressed ahead of the series’ return in April.
Hammond said she “was actually surprised with how much” backlash she got after the announcement, highlighting one particular complaint she received that she described as “flawed”.
The presenter told The Sun’s TV Mag: “I could understand in the sense that Paul was so loved and people were saying: ‘How can she do Love of Dogs when she doesn’t have a dog? How does she love dogs when she doesn’t have a dog?’ It’s like saying: ‘How can you love children when you haven’t got kids?’
“It’s such a flawed argument for me and all I would say is: ‘If you don’t want to watch it, don’t watch it.’ That’s what I would say to those trolls: ‘Don’t watch it then. If you don’t want to help Battersea, don’t watch it’.”
She continued: “Trolls will be trolls and I’ll still do what I do best, which is TV presenting and you’ll see for yourself, I think it’s authentic and I loved doing it.”
Hammond will return to host the forthcoming new season of Bake Off, which airs on Channel 4 next month,
