VIEWERS watching the latest installment of For the Love of Dogs have pointed out a trait they noticed about Alison Hammond that makes her a bad fit for the show.
The presenter has already received a lot of backlash from fans of the ITV programme after taking over from the late Paul O’Grady.
Several complained that the series has lost its warmth because Alison isn’t a dog lover and doesn’t have any furry friends of her own.
In comparison, Paul had three dogs, and two of them were rescued from the Battersea Dogs and Cats Home where the show is filmed.
Alison received a fresh wave of criticism today, with viewers pointing out that they’ve noticed she doesn’t like to pet the dogs on the show.
This would line up with claims made by Claire-Louise Nixon, who runs the Wheels to Paws charity.
In an exclusive interview with the Sun she said Alison is ‘scared’ of dogs and refused to do an interview with her rescues indoors.
Fans of the show picked up on her hesitation to interact with the fluffballs today, with one hitting out: “I like Alison but there’s no way she should be on for the love of dogs, reading off a script, scared to even stroke the dogs!
“Gone from being a loving program to something I can’t even watch any more!”
Another chimed in: “Alison Hammond frighten to touch the dogs sorry cannot watch it switched off.”
A third complained: “Alison is totally not suited. Hardly touches dogs. She has no intention of breaking one of those ridiculous nails.”
The show host from This Morning has been accused of only taking the role for the paycheck.
However, Alison has hit back at the claims, defending her new presenting role.
The mum of one told The Sun’s TV Mag: “I was actually surprised with how much I got for doing the show.”
“I could understand in the sense that Paul was so loved, and people were saying: ‘How can she do Love Of Dogs when she doesn’t have a dog? How does she love dogs when she doesn’t have a dog?’ It’s like saying: ‘How can you love children when you haven’t got kids?’
“It’s such a flawed argument for me, and all I would say is: ‘If you don’t want to watch it, don’t watch it.’ That’s what I would say to those trolls: ‘Don’t watch it then. If you don’t want to help Battersea, don’t watch it’.
“Trolls will be trolls and I’ll still do what I do best, which is TV presenting and you’ll see for yourself, I think it’s authentic and I loved doing it.
“Trolls are trolls, it says more about them than it does me, really. I would never troll anybody, even if I thought it, I wouldn’t go online and put it down.”
Alison Hammond – For The Love Of Dogs
Comment by Lucy Murgatroyd, Showbiz reporter for The Sun Online.
Alison Hammond has received a fair bit of criticism since taking over the For Love Of Dogs presenting role from the late Paul O’Grady. Just minutes into the first episode, viewers slammed the host for being ‘scripted’. Others weren’t impressed when it was first announced because Alison doesn’t own any animals. Unlike Paul, who owned three pooches himself. Despite that, some have since had a change of heart. Alison has big shoes to fill following on from Paul, who presented the show from 2012 to 2023. It’s not fair to compare them as she clearly does loves dogs and you don’t have to own one to be a dog lover. She has proven herself as a broadcaster on all of her shows and she can handle live TV like a professional, so doesn’t deserve the backlash.
James Parker is a UK-based entertainment aficionado who delves into the glitz and glamour of the entertainment industry. From Hollywood to the West End, he offers readers an insider’s perspective on the world of movies, music, and pop culture.
