This Morning responds to Alison Hammond and Dermot O'Leary feud rumours

This Morning presenters Alison Hammond and Dermot O’Leary
This Morning has denied a rift between their presenters. (Image credit: ITV)

This Morning has responded to rumours of a feud between presenters Alison Hammond and Dermot O'Leary, with claims the pair have bickered and struggled to "hit it off".

The presenting duo were put together after Eamonn Holmes and Ruth Langsford left the ITV daytime programme, having previously presented the Friday episodes for several years.

But rumours that Alison and Dermot don't get along have been shut down, with This Morning revealing they both socialise outside of work too and have gotten to know each other 

Denying the rumours, a spokesperson for This Morning told The Mirror: "Despite the challenges of starting their on-screen partnership during a pandemic, Alison and Dermot have developed a firm friendship and their chemistry has proved a ratings success.

"Since the pandemic ended, the pair are now able to enjoy socialising together post the show and have enjoyed spending time with each other's families too."

Previously, a source told the Daily Mail: "They came from very different backgrounds. Dermot has been a big star for many years and has presented some big shows, while Alison has always wanted a less high-profile career and has far less experience.

"They are impatient with one another, mainly because they do things so differently. It has led to on-set bickering and awkward tensions off-air."

But these claims have been denied, and Dermot previously opened up about This Morning presenting duties, telling Fabulous Magazine in September that they had to roll with it and didn't rehearse: "We never got to pilot, we’d never read a script through, we didn’t even have lunch together.

"We literally met for the first time in 15 years or so and that morning we presented two-and-a-half hours of live television together."

Meanwhile, Alison spoke on Lorraine last year and said: "We were thrown together on a Friday, a bit like an arranged marriage. It took about two months to feel comfortable.

"We told each other what we didn't like. We had a few private chats and said 'oh I don't like this about you, and the other said well I don't like you when you do this'. I think the fact we were honest and able to talk to each other...I trust him now." 

This Morning airs weekdays on ITV from 10am Monday - Friday. 

Lucy Buglass
Senior Staff Writer

Lucy joined the WhatToWatch.com team in 2021, where she writes series guides for must-watch programmes, reviews and the latest TV news. Now she works for our sister site TechRadar in the same role. Originally from Northumberland, she graduated from Oxford Brookes University with a degree in Film Studies and moved to London to begin a career writing about entertainment.

She is a Rotten Tomatoes approved film critic and has a huge passion for cinema. She especially loves horror, thriller and anything crime-related. Her favourite TV programmes include Inside No 9, American Horror Story, Stranger Things and Black Mirror but she is also partial to a quiz show or a bit of Say Yes to the Dress