For The Love of Dogs return date confirmed as Alison Hammond takes over from late Paul O’Grady in new ITV series
A RETURN date for The Love of Dogs has been confirmed as Alison Hammond takes over from the late Paul O’Grady on the ITV series.
In January it was confirmed that This Morning star Alison would be the new host of the hit ITV show, following Paul’s sad death last year at the age of 67.
Paul had hosted For The Love of Dogs since 2012 and won four National Television Awards for the programme.
Alison, 49, has now taken the lead on the show to follow in Paul’s footsteps as she meets the pooches at Battersea Dogs & Cats Home.
Fans of the programme will get to see the adorable canines she meets when the new series begins on Tuesday, April 16.
When she was announced as the new host, Alison said: “I am very aware that I can never replace the iconic Paul in this wonderful series, but if I can continue to shine a light on the brilliant work done at Battersea and help to tell the stories of these beautiful dogs, then it will be an absolute privilege to give it my all.
“I can’t wait to share the joy of their searches for new loving forever homes and hopefully make lots of furry friends of my own along the way!”
Satmohan Panesar, Commissioning Editor for ITV said: “We are thrilled to be able to confirm that the series will return in the spring and that the dogs have a brand-new champion in Alison Hammond.
“As Paul O’Grady always said himself, the stars of the show were the dogs themselves, but the impact that he had and the legacy he leaves will never be forgotten by any of us.
“We can’t wait to welcome back the series with Alison; there will be all the fun and warmth that our viewers have come to expect whilst continuing to showcase the wonderful and important work done by the incredible team at Battersea.”
Alison’s appointment angered some fans of the show after they learned she had never owned a dog herself.
She appeared to address the backlash on This Morning, saying: “It’s a massive responsibility.
“And that’s what I want to do the show because I want to find out about dogs, and I’ve always wanted a dog.
“You know that. But I’ve always wanted a dog. But you have to take it very, very seriously, don’t you?”
Dog lovers Amanda Holden, Martin Clunes and Ricky Gervais were also reportedly in the running to host the reboot, as was Paul’s close friend Julian Clary.
But Alison revealed there are no hard feelings between her and Julian as she shared a sweet message from him on This Morning.
She said Julian had told her: “Paul actually thought a lot of you. He would be so happy you got the job, as am I.”
For The Love of Dogs with Alison Hammond starts on Tuesday, April 16 at 8pm on ITV1.