Alison Hammond admits she still talks to her late mum Maria.
The This Morning host's mother tragically passed away in 2020 after a battle with liver and lung cancer. Alison was dealt even more heartache just a few months on when her dad Clifford also died.
As she and friend and ITV co-star Kate Garraway explored their ancestry and DNA on a new episode of ITV show DNA Journey, Alison shared her pain at her mum not being able to know about all these wonderful connections the family have. In a candid chat with Kate, Alison explained how her mum had one final promise for her before her passing.
Speaking on the show, Alison told her friend Kate: "I'm just so sad my mum's not here to see it. She really wanted to know more about her family. And this is all on her side, it's mad. I do talk to her all the time.
"When she died, it felt like a different sort of relationship with her - more spiritual. I know she's there. Obviously, because she knew she was dying before she did die, and she said, 'you know I'm always going to be there with you.'"
Alison added: "And I said, 'thank you mum, but not all the time, not when I'm with a bloke'. And she said, 'no I'll be there!'"
Alison's mum passed in 2020, and at the time, she shared a sweet and poignant tribute to her.
"Today I dedicate Valentine’s Day to my beautiful, wonderful Mother Maria who passed away from liver and lung cancer. Yesterday my family and I celebrated her amazing life and laid her to rest in a beautiful ceremony she would have been proud of," she said.
"Thank you mummy for giving me the strength to move forward in the knowledge that your ok and with God in Heaven now. I will always remember you and try and make you proud. I love you mum."
When Alison bagged her recurring role on This Morning as a Friday presenter alongside Dermot O'Leary, she shared her heartache over how she wished she was able to celebrate the exciting news with her mum.
"This Morning was always a staple in our family home growing up. It’s so bittersweet to know that this has happened and she’s not here to see. Having said that, I do still feel her presence. It feels like my mum is still looking out for me in a strange way," she said.
"When I was younger she’d be the one getting out all the old video tapes showing everyone. She was totally my number one fan and was always mega proud of me. In a way I’m living my mum’s dream."
*DNA Journey with Kate Garraway and Alison Hammond is on ITV tonight at 9pm.
