FOR The Love of Dogs viewers have spotted three clues that host Alison Hammond isn’t actually comfortable around pooches.
The ITV star replaced long-serving show host Paul O’Grady on the programme following his tragic death last year aged 67.
Though Alison has become one of the nation’s most loved TV stars thanks to her work on This Morning and The Great British Bake Off, many believe she isn’t the right fit for the dog series.
Regular viewers have taken to social media after last night’s episode to voice their issues with the host’s style, comparing it to her dog-loving predecessor.
One person wrote on X: “I can’t take to Alison Hammond on @itvFLOD I’ve really tried but she doesn’t seem at all relaxed around the dogs and is never covered in fur and rarely sits on the floor and have her face licked like #PaulOGrady would.”
They added: “She just looks too awkward.. too well turned out and doesn’t get stuck in.. like it’s a chore.. deffo not the right choice no.”
Another said: “Not right in for the love of dogs it’s painful to watch even for two minutes. She obviously doesn’t like dogs never mind love them, mistake on @ITV.”
The 49-year-old star has appreciated positive fan comments amid the weekly backlash.
She was spotted liking posts on Twitter that praised her for doing a great job as well as one that said Paul would be “cheering her on from the clouds”.
During the latest episode, Alison cut a nervous figure as she assisted dog Giselle as it underwent physiotherapy.
The pooch had been having problems with its legs after being discovered abandoned and Alison was called on by Battersea Dogs Home to see if she could help out in its recovery.
But far from tactile, she kept her distance as she coyly muttered “good girl”.
Viewers were quick to call our her apparent nervous disposition as and came to the same conclusion that the This Morning star was uneasy around dogs and animals.
They argued she appeared unrelaxed around the pups as she attempted to help them out.
Taking aim at the star, one said: “It’s so painfully obvious that Alison hasn’t had much to do with animals full stop.”
It comes after Claire-Louise Nixon, who runs the Wheels to Paws charity, claimed Alison was scared of her disabled pooches during a past This Morning segment.
She said she asked Alison why she went ahead with the talk and was told: “I’ve got to pay the mortgage.”
However, an ITV spokesman said: “The decision to film outside was made by the production team entirely independently of Alison purely on the basis that it was a more appropriate fit for the item and the show and any suggestion otherwise is inaccurate.”
