ITV Addresses Claims Of 'Strained Relationship' Between This Morning's Alison And Dermot
An ITV spokesperson has addressed claims another feud is brewing on the This Morning set.
Over the weekend, the broadcaster faced allegations that the relationship between Alison Hammond and Dermot O’Leary, who usually present the show together on Fridays, has become “strained”.
The pair have stepped in to host This Morning more often following Phillip Schofield’s shock exit in May, as bosses have scrambled to tweak the format following the unexpected shake-up.
An anonymous source quoted in the Mail On Sunday claimed bosses “fear” a worsening mood between its two stars could leave them needing to present more apart – but an ITV spokesperson has hit back at the reports.
They told Metro.co.uk: “Alison, Dermot and Holly are all valued members of the This Morning family and all enjoy working together on the show, as well as having friendships outside of the show.”
HuffPost UK has contacted ITV for further comment.
Alison and Dermot began presenting This Morning together in 2020, when they replaced previous Friday hosts Ruth Langsford and Eamonn Holmes.
In an interview last year, Dermot admitted that it took a while for himself and Alison to learn how to work together well.
He told Fabulous magazine: “We both did something that the other didn’t like [while presenting] – nothing major – but after it happened we looked at each other, and I said: ‘’You didn’t like it when I did that, did you?’;
“And she said no, she didn’t. And I said: ‘’OK, well I didn’t like it when you did that thing’‘.’
“And we both laughed, because now we knew. The most important thing is to find out what annoys the other and make sure you don’t do it again.”
This Morning has faced increased scrutiny and allegations of being a “toxic” work environment in recent months.
This was something the presenters addressed live on air, with Dermot saying in May: “We all know we happen to be in the news at the moment and of course we appreciate that but just from both of us, the whole team here, the crew, the guys downstairs, we love making this show for all of you.”
Alison added: “We really do and that’s exactly what we are going to do, we are going to continue to do that.”
Their comments came after Phillip was forced to quit This Morning following the revelation that he had an affair with a younger male colleague.
Both ITV and Phil’s longtime BFF Holly distanced themselves from the presenter following his admission, insisting that he had always denied the relationship was romantic.
Holly now presents This Morning with a rotation of other co-hosts.
This Morning airs weekdays at 10am on ITV.