Alison Hammond has been a consistent face on This Morning since the announcement of Phillip Schofield's immediate exit and a body language expert has revealed she's "feeling the pressure".
The presenter was joined by Dermot O'Leary on Monday and Tuesday after it was confirmed Holly Willoughby would be taking an early half-term break while Craig Doyle joined Alison on Wednesday.
Body language expert Darren Stanton has shared his thoughts on how Phillip's departure may have impacted Alison after studying Wednesday's episode.
“Alison is a very confident woman. She’s been with This Morning for a very long time. However, as Phillip and Holly have been the main presenters for so long, I think there is a lot of pressure on Alison’s shoulders," he said.
"Whether she is presenting with Craig or Dermot, she appears to be the stronger person in the dynamic - but I can tell she feels the pressure as the most prevalent person in the running," he continued speaking on behalf of Betfair.
“When you look at Alison’s presenting, she tends to clasp and lock her hands a lot when she’s reading from the autocue. Then, she will release them, and bring them together again or place them in front. These are all pacifying gestures, which is what we do when we feel awkward. Overall, Alison is very confident, but it’s clear she is feeling the pressure now.”
Craig, who has co-hosted the show previously often with Josie Gibson, impressed many This Morning viewers and the body language expert claims Alison put the Irish presenter "at ease".
“During the opening moments of the show, Alison touched Craig’s arm as she said, ‘It’s really good to have you back.’ It’s noticeable that Craig was quite nervous, so it was a nice gesture for Alison to do on screen. He was quite jittery when he was speaking, so it’s clear Alison made sure to reassure him and put him at ease as much as she can - showing him that they were in it together.
"Craig was often putting his hands in his pockets, which is seen as a signal of reassurance. It’s clear that Craig relies on Alison’s confidence as a leader of the two of them. She is definitely the stronger presenter.”
Holly is scheduled to return to This Morning on Monday, June 5 while it has not yet been confirmed who will replace Phillip permanently.
