Alison Hammond hit with complaints for This Morning comment about children
The Bake Off presenter, 48, has been on our screens more in recent months, stepping in for Phillip Schofield after his exit from the daytime programme, and Holly Willoughby’s just months later.
On Friday, January 12, she had been hosting This Morning with Dermot O’Leary when she made a comment that sparked some uproar about children staying at home during school hours and watching the show.
86 people complained to Ofcom, with a spokesperson confirming to Metro.co.uk: ‘The majority of complaints related to comments made by Alison Hammond about children who are not in school at the time of broadcast as naughty.’
The same day saw Alison apologise on-air after her phone went off during the show.
‘Did you not turn it off?’ Dermot asked Alison, as he heard the phone ringing behind him, to which she replied: ‘I did turn it off, that’s not me, it wasn’t me!’
She quickly grabbed her phone and added: ‘Oh, it was! I thought I had it on aeroplane mode.
‘Hold on, let me turn it off. I’m so sorry!’
‘To be fair, she was on aeroplane mode, it’s not her fault!’ Dermot told viewers.
Alison has previously been in trouble with angry viewers, and sparked intense backlash last year over comments about banning audience members from singing along to live shows.
The conversation on theatre etiquette lead to 66 Ofcom complaints, after Alison said, of the ban: ‘I can’t believe it. I’d be devastated. I’m not even going to go to that show now.’
Alison later issued an apology, tweeting: ‘After reflection and the comments I made on Wednesday’s show I want to apologise to anyone who I offended especially the incredibly talented theatre performers, who I have the utmost respect for,’ and added that she wanted ‘to use my platform for good’.
Dermot also defended himself, posting: ‘Could I politely urge anyone passing judgement on the clip to watch the whole interview… as I was actually arguing AGAINST people singing too loudly in theatres.’
He added that he had ‘love and respect for those treading the boards’.
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