She’s naughty… however good! Nice British Bake Off’s Prue Leith introduces her showstopping new co-host Alison Hammond (and divulges the startling purpose she by no means watches the present)

Alison Hammond first burst into public consciousness in 2002 when the cinema usherette, who was £4,000 in debt, walked into one of the vital well-known homes within the nation. Her keep did not finish as she’d hoped. 

Alison was evicted from Huge Brother after simply two weeks, however the 48-year-old proprietor of TV’s most infectious chortle actually had the final chortle… and lots of extra apart from.

She went on to seem on I’m A Celebrity… and commonly presents This Morning, however crowning all of it, this month she makes her debut as co-host of one of many world’s greatest reveals, changing Matt Lucas on The Great British Bake Off. 

Twenty-one years to the month after she first discovered fame, Alison walked into the tent with comic and co-host Noel Fielding and judges Paul Hollywood and Dame Prue Leith.

She’s hoping to be a profitable addition to the baking band, and because the present returns Prue has actually develop into a member of the Alison Hammond Fan Membership. 

The sensation’s mutual and, chatting to the dynamic duo, it is clear they adore one another. Plus, with Alison’s arrival, Prue’s not outnumbered.

Twenty-one years to the month after she first discovered fame, Alison Hammond walked into the GBBO tent with comic and co-host Noel Fielding and judges Paul Hollywood and Dame Prue Leith  

Prue says she would not watch the present again as a result of she’s ‘so useless’ that she couldn’t bear to see her ‘wobbly bits’

‘And it is so good,’ grins the 83-year-old. ‘I like Matt, Paul and Noel, however it was like coping with a bunch of main college youngsters typically. You understand how a three-year-old loves the phrase poo? 

‘They crack up. Properly, these boys aren’t a lot completely different. Alison’s a breath of contemporary air. Sure, she’s naughty, however she leads the gang and has an amazing base of kindness. She naturally likes folks. 

‘On prime of it is a teasing, spirited, enjoyable lady. A very good combo. She’s life-enhancing, there isn’t any doubt.’

The beginner is simply as effusive concerning the Dame. ‘Prue’s a mild guiding pressure, beneficiant, form and knowledge-able. It is type of like having my mum there,’ says Alison. 

‘You are continuously listening to her superb tales. She’s so entertaining.’

Do not think about {that a} battle of the sexes has now damaged out within the inexperienced room over contentious subjects like who controls the TV distant, although. 

‘We have our personal areas to sit back – shepherd huts,’ Alison says. ‘You may have Paul in his watching Formulation One. Noel can be portray in his. I will be sleeping…’

‘I am in the course of doing a cookbook, so usually I will be engaged on that,’ says Prue.

‘If we had been in the identical area, the Formulation One would do my head in,’ admits Alison. ‘Although I did go for a drive with Paul. It frightened me to loss of life.’

‘All people I do know has solely ever been in a automotive with Paul Hollywood as soon as,’ reveals Prue. ‘I have been in there as soon as in seven years. I will by no means do it once more.’

Though Alison admits to being ‘actually nervous’ on her first day of filming, auditioning for Bake Off surprisingly held no fears for her. 

First up was a chemistry take a look at with Noel. Then Alison interviewed backyard centre buyers to point out the rapport that she may need with the bakers.

‘Every time I audition, I do not get nervous,’ she says. “I believe, ‘If I get it, I get it. If I do not, I do not.”

Regardless of Alison being ‘actually nervous’ on her first day of filming, she has revealed that auditioning for Bake Off held no fears for her

‘Once I met Noel, I realised I wished the job as a result of I actually favored him. He was charming, humorous, into artwork. I’m as nicely. I paint. We had tons in frequent.

‘I began off interviewing folks on This Morning and this was going again to fundamentals,’ she provides. 

‘Basically, it is being concerned with anyone else. I do come throughout as loud and brash, however I additionally take heed to what folks need to say.’

She offers nice hugs, too. Paul’s reportedly been stingy with Hollywood Handshakes this collection. Hammond Hugs, although, are in plentiful provide. 

‘I’ve all the time been fairly tactile,’ says Alison. ‘I’ve scaled it again. I do not leap on celebrities any extra and kiss them, we’re in a special age. I identical to a cuddle.’

Confronted with soggy-bottomed setbacks, the contestants hoping to emulate 2022 champ Dr Syabira Yusoff cherished a comforting squeeze. Aged from 21 to 59, they embody a deli supervisor, a PE instructor and an intelligence analyst.

Moderately than ever extra fiendish duties, this collection sees a return to classics comparable to crème caramel, chocolate torte and sausage rolls. 

There are new themes, too: Chocolate Week, Botanicals Week and Occasion Week. And, as ever, they kick off with truffles. 

The primary problem? A Vertical Layer Cake. They deal with an iconic bake within the technical problem. And the showstopper? Properly, they enterprise into Carry On territory when re-creating animals.

Alison understands the stress, having been a contestant on 2020’s Superstar Bake Off. Prue mentioned of her, ‘I do not assume we have ever had anyone with this a lot confidence.’

Alison did not win, however her signature bake kickstarted her friendship with Prue. ‘We bonded within the sense Prue loved my chocolate brownies with Daim bars in them,’ Alison says.

‘She requested for the recipe. I have been eating out on this ever since. She’s acquired the recipe on her fridge.’

‘I’ve solely taken two recipes dwelling within the time I have been on Bake Off,’ provides Prue. ‘Alison’s was one, lengthy earlier than we knew she’d be a presenter.’

Studying one another’s memoirs helped them get acquainted additional. ‘When you’re well-known for one factor, the general public thinks that is all you are about,’ says Prue. 

‘Does not matter what else I do, it is all the time Prue the prepare dinner. Alison has a deeper aspect to her than hilarious interviewer. Her autobiography’s terrific, however she additionally wrote essentially the most unbelievable e-book for youths, Black in Time, about [Britain’s] heroes of the previous who had been black.

‘I gave it to my grandchildren as a result of I believed they need to know this and it is inspiring for them. My two smallest grandchildren [adopted by her Cambodia-born adopted daughter Li-Da] are each of color: one’s half-Congolese, one’s half-Ethiopian. They should develop up figuring out tons of people that’ve completed great issues had been black.’

‘I want I might had me on telly after I was youthful,’ Alison provides. ‘I used to observe Floella Benjamin and assume, “She’s superb!” It was inspiring to see somebody who did not essentially seem like me. I used to be quite a bit larger, however she had the identical pores and skin tone.’

Bake Off has all the time been inclusive – with somebody each viewer can determine with, no matter their age, intercourse, color and sexuality. 

Some may accuse the collection of getting a ‘woke’ agenda due to its range, however it reveals how common baking’s attraction is. This 12 months, GBBO welcomes its first deaf baker.

Prue explains how they whittle down candidates. ‘The method initially is simply who’s the most effective. We need to know what they learn about baking and can they be capable of stand as much as the pressures. It isn’t concerning the color of their pores and skin or something. We want to ensure we have some younger ones, some outdated, some black, some white, completely different nationalities, backgrounds, earnings teams… 

‘It is woke within the sense we care about reflecting society. We might not put anyone within the tent who wasn’t able to profitable. In any other case, we would be doing them a disservice. They’d be humiliated. It is a few obligation of care.’

‘It is the identical with the presenters,’ says Alison. ‘I would not have been chosen if I wasn’t as much as the job or could not deal with the job.’

Prue laughs. ‘Alison may don’t solely her job, but in addition Noel’s job and she or he may do mine and Paul’s given half an opportunity.’

Cake’s an occupational hazard for our duo, so how do they take care of temptation? ‘I’ve simply come from the gymnasium,’ says Alison.

‘I in all probability placed on half a stone. I have been working a lot, I have never been coaching. I used to be face down within the cake each single bake. I believed the attraction would’ve worn off, however I used to be tempted on a regular basis. While you hear Prue say, ‘Oh, that is scrumptious…’ I can really feel myself dribbling.’

Prue struggles to cease on the one small mouthful she must know if a bake’s any good, however an increasing waistline is not her solely concern. 

‘The difficulty with our job as judges is you are trying down on a regular basis and all of your chins are on view. Then, to have a gob stuffed with cake…’ She sighs and makes a shock admission. 

‘I by no means watch Bake Off and the reality is just not that I do not assume it is a great present. I do. I am so useless, I can not bear seeing my wobbly bits on view on a regular basis.’

‘I will in all probability change after this collection,’ says Alison, ‘and by no means eat once more.’

As co-host, Alison has the much less enviable job of sending bakers dwelling. After her personal eviction, she is aware of how that should really feel. She’s additionally the proper reminder that each one is just not misplaced. 

Alison referred to as her new co-host Prue ‘marvel lady’. Pictured: The Nice British Bake Off tent at Welford Park

‘I used to be so gutted to be evicted from Huge Brother, however I do assume issues occur for a purpose,’ she says. ‘If I might gained, I in all probability would not have the profession I’ve at the moment.’

A This Morning producer, who’d by no means watched the present earlier than, noticed her depart the home and supplied the previous baby actor, who’d appeared in TV reveals Palace Hill and Chalkface, a section on weight-reduction plan. That led to her masking the purple carpet for a brand new George Clooney movie. 

She inadvertently hit the star within the face along with her microphone. The producers thought Alison was so humorous that she needed to keep, and the nation and Hollywood’s A-list took her to their hearts – she’s been fed candies by Hugh Jackman, acquired a wedding proposal from Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson and gave Harrison Ford the giggles in a chat that went viral and has now had greater than 17 million views on YouTube.

This 12 months, although, her time actually has come. In February, she fronted the BAFTAs with Richard E Grant. Having hosted This Morning on Fridays with Dermot O’Leary since 2021, she’s now a daily alongside Holly Willoughby – with a nomination for Greatest Presenter on the Nationwide Tv Awards in addition. 

‘It is luck, is not it?’ she says. ‘A mix of luck, arduous work and being curious.’

Does Alison have a cake worthy of a Hollywood Handshake? ‘Completely!’ she says. 

‘I soak raisins and stuff in white rum and sherry and depart all of them 12 months spherical. I will pop the rummed-up fruits into my banana bread. Or if I am doing bread and butter pudding, I will put my fruits in. All people loves them.’

One unhappiness takes a bit shine off Alison’s new function. Her mum, Maria, is not right here to observe. She died from lung and liver most cancers in 2020. How would Maria have reacted to her woman being in that tent? 

‘She would’ve been there each week,’ Alison says with a smile. ‘She’d have been over the moon. She liked Prue and Paul. Bake Off was one in every of her favorite reveals. It is bittersweet doing it, the actual fact she’s not right here.’

Prue has develop into considerably of a job mannequin. Does Alison ever assume, ‘I need to be Prue after I develop up?’ 

‘I need to be Prue now! I need to be in Prue’s garments, initially, they’re superb. If I’ve the health, agility and work ethic she has after I’m 50, I might be flying. She’s a marvel lady.’ 

Though there’s one bone of competition. ‘I can not consider her age,’ says Alison. ‘I believe she’s been mendacity for a very long time simply to get sympathy.’

As they chortle once more, it is clear everybody’s had a ball on Bake Off. Having been a part of This Morning’s household for 21 years, does Alison really feel like she’s dishonest on them by becoming a member of one other TV clan? 

‘I do some bit, however are you aware what? I really feel like I am with my eternally household now. They are a pretty gang and I am simply so joyful to be a part of it. I am fairly unhappy filming has come to an finish.’

• The Nice British Bake Off returns to Channel 4 later this month