UK
Police investigating blackmail allegations targeting This Morning presenter Alison Hammond
Blackmail claims against TV presenter Alison Hammond are being investigated by police.
The 48-year-old This Morning regular has reportedly been put under pressure by her blackmailer for large sums of money and a BMW car worth £5,000.
The blackmailer threatened to spread lies about Hammond in an effort to derail her career if she did not co-operate with the demands, according to The Sun.
In a statement, West Midlands Police said: “We are investigating an allegation of blackmail of a woman in her 40s.
“We take reports of this kind very seriously and our inquiries are progressing swiftly.”
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Hammond first rose to fame in 2002, after competing in the third series of Big Brother. She then joined the team at This Morning in the same year.
Alison Hammond and This Morning co-host Dermot O’Leary
She currently presents the weekday daytime show on Friday mornings with former X Factor host Dermot O’Leary.
Earlier this month she was announced as the new co-host of The Great British Bake Off, replacing comedian Matt Lucas, who announced his exit last December.
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Hammond will co-present alongside actor and comedian Noel Fielding, 49, a performer known for his dark and surreal comedy who surprised many when he joined the show.