She revealed how she’s ready to walk down the aisle, but insiders now say that a wedding could be a distant dream for Alison Hammond – with her already packed work schedule about to grow even busier.
Last month, Alison, 50, made a surprise admission on her Smart TV podcast about her relationship with 27-year-old boyfriend David Putman. Speaking about her relationship with the Russian masseur, Alison revealed, ‘This is going to make headlines but, yeah, I would marry him tomorrow.’
But while Alison dreams of walking down the aisle, a source tells Closer she may have to wait. It’s been reported that Alison is set to host a new BBC revival of Hole In The Wall – on top of her already hectic filming schedule – meaning even more time working, and less time to spend with loved ones.
The source reveals, ‘Alison admits she is a people pleaser, especially when it comes to her career. She still can’t shake that feeling of being an imposter in the telly presenting world because of her reality TV start in Big Brother.
‘Her pals have been begging her to learn how to say no, but then something huge comes along – just like the opportunity to do Hole In The Wall – and Alison just can’t imagine turning it down. She doesn’t want the momentum around her career to stop, especially as she knows how cut-throat the TV world can be.’
Alongside This Morning, The Great British Bake Off, and For The Love Of Dogs, Hole In The Wall could find its way on to Alison’s roster. According to BBC insiders, the TV star is set to present the revival of the iconic noughties game show, with an source saying, ‘They wanted to sign Alison and she jumped at the chance.’
But with yet another show on her radar, the source tells Closer that Alison’s friends are worried about how she will juggle her busy life – including her romance with David. The source says, ‘Alison’s friends are concerned that she risks missing out on quality time if she’s constantly working around the clock on set, especially when it comes to David. She’s said herself that she wants them to get married, but she’s panicking about how this would fit in to her schedule as that would involve taking a huge amount of time off to plan it, and then also enjoy a proper honeymoon.’
Alison began dating Russian-born David in December 2023. While their age-gap relationship initially raised eyebrows, the couple have since brushed aside the criticism – with Alison describing him as fitting her ‘like a jigsaw’.
Opening up during a recent interview, the star shared, ‘I can see how on paper you’d notice the age difference but, honestly, when we see the word “toyboy” written about us, it bears no relation to what we have at all. Yes, I’m 22 years older than he is, but if you saw us together, you’d understand.’
Alison has also revealed that her son Aidan, 19, is a fan of David, saying, ‘When they met, he really liked him [and] thought he was lovely, so that’s nice. Normally, Aidan hates anybody I date.’
But our source says that despite being like two peas in a pod, it’s a struggle to find time together, saying, ‘Alison loves David and is so happy with how things are going, but her friends do worry how her schedule is tearing them apart. She is so in demand and under the spotlight, whereas David lives a much more normal life in comparison. That’s what Alison loves about him, though. When she comes home, she just wants to wind down after giving so much of her energy to the cameras.
‘Alison wishes the two of them could have more time alone together and has said that it’s impossible to juggle everything when it comes to being a mum, her fast-paced career, and having a relationship. She can find it hard to balance it all – but her pals do point out that her career seems to take up most of her time.’
It’s not only Alison’s friends who are worried about her time-consuming career. Earlier this year, the TV icon admitted she would love to head off on a jet-setting trip, saying, ‘In the next 10 years, I want to travel the world. I would love to take a year off and just go and travel. Not just yet, but one day.’
And now, the source says Alison’s inner circle are encouraging her to take a step back. They share, ‘Her friends do feel that she’s now earned the right to step back a bit and not take on everything that comes her way. She’s incredibly popular and it’s an amazing feeling, but the worry is that she could be sacrificing other, more important things – like her family, friendships and love. Her pals are hoping that this year she can find the time to take a proper break and spend some quality time with David.’
