Alison Hammond to host Hole In The Wall as BBC show set to make return
BBC game show Hole In The Wall will be returning for a new series fronted by Alison Hammond. The Beeb has given it the green light after a successful pilot, we can reveal. Previously hosted by Dale Winton, with Strictly Come Dancing star Anton Du Beke later taking over, Alison has been drafted in to present the reboot. It originally aired from 2008 to 2009 and featured celebrities trying to fit through moving wall cut-outs to avoid being pushed into a pool of water. This Morning and Great British Bake Off star Alison, 50, impressed in the pilot. A source said: 'Alison made a splash in the pilot so it was a no-brainer for bosses. 'It's the perfect fit for her. It's fun, exciting and doesn't take itself too seriously - just like Alison.'
It will be filmed later this year and air in 2026. Hole In The Wall is based on a Japanese format and sees shiny lycra-clad celebrities try to squeeze through odd-shaped holes in a moving wall. The wall is activated by the presenter shouting: 'Bring on the wall!' Each week, two teams of television personalities competed for £10,000 in prize money to be donated to their chosen charity. It's the latest telly job for in demand star Alison. She became the new face of For the Love of Dogs following the death of Paul O'Grady and currently presents ITV 's This Morning on a Friday with co-host Dermot O'Leary. She is also a team captain on Rob Beckett's Smart TV for Sky. Alison is fast becoming the BBC's golden girl with a number of shows on the channel. Earlier this year her new travel series: Florida Unpacked, went out on BBC Two. It saw her travel the US state with son Aidan, 20. She also fronted her own celebrity interview show, Alison Hammond's Big Weekend, which saw her get under the skin of well known names like Lenny Henry, Little Mix 's Perrie Edwards and Spice Girl Mel B.
This comes after Alison and her son Aidan made their debut on Celebrity Gogglebox last week, a few months after he revealed some heartbreaking details about his childhood. The 20-year-old DJ recalled he used to run away from home and seek solace at his nan's house when things at home with his mum Alison, 50, got too much.
Alison and her ex-partner – Noureddine Boufaied, a taxi driver from Manchester – separated in 2014, when Aidan was nine, and the youngster spent most of his time living with his telly star mum in Birmingham. The mother-and-son duo now enjoy a close bond – and have worked together on BBC travelogue Alison Hammond 's Florida Unpacked and now Channel 4 's Celebrity Gogglebox.
Earlier this year, Aidan revealed how much he and his mum benefited from having his maternal grandma, Maria, living close by, especially when things were difficult at home.
'She had a house pretty much opposite us, so we could literally leave and run across the road,' he said. 'So when my mum was doing my head in, I'd just go to my nan's.'
A few weeks after her death, Alison wrote a moving tribute on her Instagram page, which said, 'Thank you, Mummy, for giving me the strength to move forward in the knowledge that you're OK and with God in Heaven now. I will always remember you and try and make you proud. I love you, Mum.'
Aidan described himself, his mum and his nan as 'a little trio', and said they 'were very close all the time'. While Alison is now loved-up with Russian massage therapist David Putman, some 20 years her junior, she has previously admitted she felt like she had 'failed' when she broke up with Aidan's father.
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