'I turn down 10 things per day': Alison Hammond dismisses overexposure claims
This Morning presenter Alison Hammond has fired back at those who claim she is overexposed on our TV screens.
Alison Hammond has hit back at suggestions that she is on TV too often.
The 50-year-old star is a regular presence on the small screen with presenting roles on This Morning and The Great British Bake Off but feels that she "stands out" because of her race as she issued a riposte to her social media critics.
Asked if she is concerned about overexposure, Alison told The Guardian newspaper: "No. If I need to rest up or a job doesn't appeal, I won't do it. I'm good at saying no. I turn down 10 things per day, no exaggeration.
"It looks like I'm on TV a lot, sure, but I stand out partly because it's still not the norm to see a Black woman doing this. I don't want to bring race into it but no one says that about Davina (McCall) or Ant and Dec.
"I've worked hard for 22 years to get here. That woman on TikTok is allowed her opinion. It keeps me grounded. I'm not a national treasure. I'm just me, doing a job that I adore to the best of my ability, trying to be better than I was yesterday."
Alison - who found fame after appearing on Big Brother back in 2002 - will once again co-host Channel 4's The Great British Bake Off alongside Noel Fielding this year and finds it easy to relate to the contestants given her own background in reality TV.
The For the Love of Dogs host said: "I was a contestant on Big Brother, in the jungle (on I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here!), even on Celebrity Bake Off. I know what they're going through.
"There's one baker who can't even make caramel but they learn on the job and do brilliantly. I love watching them progress. They go into the tent as one person and come out as another. You can't help being emotionally involved.
"What often moves me is hearing about who they've left behind to take part. Some have kids. They're not seeing their babies because they're working so hard at this. You're willing them to do well. When they leave, you find a lump in your throat."
