At face value, Alison Hammond appears to be living her best life. Professionally, she’s currently a regular on our TV screens with This Morning, Rob Beckett’s Smart TV and For The Love Of Dogs to name just a few.
And then last week, it was revealed that the presenter has found love again.
But despite Alison, 49, being clearly besotted with massage therapist David Putman, according to sources, friends are nervous about the presenter’s relationship with the 26-year-old.
They tell Closer, “While Alison’s friends love to see her happy, they can’t help but be a bit worried about this new man. The age gap has raised eyebrows – they are both at such different stages of their lives. Also, they don’t know his background. He’s not in the industry and they’ve been wondering whether he may be after money or fame.”
It is thought that the pair originally met when Alison hired David as her masseur. After developing a friendship, romance soon blossomed and they reportedly began dating towards the end of last year.
Originally from Krasnodar in Russia, David – who is 6ft 10 – relocated to the UK in December 2022 following the invasion of Ukraine. Not much is known about David, but a friend of his has revealed that fears surrounding his new high-profile relationship with Alison are unfounded.
They said, “David is a very quiet, unassuming and thoughtful person who likes to play the guitar. He’s the strong, silent type – not a pushover, but not chatty like Alison.
“In that sense they’re perfect for each other and, to David, age is just a number. He’s not bothered by fame. He probably didn’t even know who Alison was when they first met.”
Actress and Loose Women star Denise Welch, who is 14 years older than husband Lincoln Townley, has also thrown her support behind the new couple.
Taking to X (formerly known as Twitter) to reply to someone commenting that Alison’s new relationship has raised alarm bells, she shared, “It could also work out brilliantly well and be the best thing that ever happened to her!!! Fabulous woman and deserves everything”.
Some of Alison’s other friends, however, aren’t so sure about her new romance with David.
“Alison is obviously quite successful, so they’re worried for her,” our insider explains. “While they really hope there isn’t a catch, they’re all wondering if he’s got another agenda. They all adore Alison and don’t want her to get hurt again as she’s had some tough break-ups in the past.”
Previously, Alison has been relatively tight-lipped when it comes to her relationship status. Most recently, the mum of one was linked to landscape gardener Ben Hawkins when photos emerged of the pair together just months after Alison revealed to her co-host Dermot O’Leary on This Morning in June 2022 that she had been secretly dating someone for a year and a half. By February 2023, however, Alison was single again.
Prior to her relationship with Ben, Alison dated taxi driver Noureddine Boufaied – with whom she welcomed son Aiden, 19, on her 30th birthday in 2005. Following that, she was in a relationship with security guard Jamie Savage – who she met via a dating website. Jamie proposed in 2014, but the pair never made it down the aisle, splitting in 2017.
Friends are especially worried following events last March, where Alison was reportedly involved in a devastating blackmail plot in which an individual – referred to as a former friend – is alleged to have demanded £3,500 from the star. It was claimed by sources at the time that the man took advantage of Alison’s kind nature, so naturally the Big Brother star’s pals feel protective of her and don’t want her to be betrayed like that again.
Alison, however, isn’t having any of it and is keen to see where things go with David.
The source says, “Alison has reiterated to her friends that she’s happy and enjoying herself, and has told them not to worry about her.
“Her new man hasn’t ever given her a reason not to trust him, so she doesn’t want to ruin anything by being paranoid. She’s having fun and she’s excited about this new relationship. Time will tell if it works out.”