She won over the nation’s hearts, as well as those of Hugh Jackman, Harrison Ford and Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson – who even jokily proposed to her on This Morning – with her bubbly personality and funny interviews.
But Alison Hammond hasn’t always been so confident. After being bullied over her weight as a child, the TV host became so self-conscious that it shattered her dream of becoming a professional swimmer.
Check out: a look back at Celebrity Big Brother's most outrageous moments
Celebrity Big Brother's most outrageous moments SLIDER
1 of 31Roxanne Pallett accused Ryan Thomas of punching her
When Roxanne Pallett and Ryan Thomas were playing fighting no one was quite prepared when the Emmerdale actress claimed that he punched her hard in the ribs. She was quick to tell the rest of the housemates, ask Big Brother why Ryan wasn't removed from the house and branded him 'a liar', 'manipulative' and 'calculating'. During an eviction the CBB crowd were chanting for Roxanne to leave and shortly after she quit the show.That didn't stop the nation from being furious and Ofcom received over 11,000 complaints. She's since apologised for her actions but Ryan's brother Adam has slammed her apology and so has the Corrie star's girlfriend Lucy Mecklenburgh.
2 of 31Kim Woodburn's explosive row
Security entered the house in 2017 to escort Kim Woodburn out, following an explosive row with her housemates.
3 of 31Christopher Biggins' shocking removal
In 2016, Christopher Biggins was removed from the house after making shocking homophobic and anti-Semitic comments.
4 of 31Stephen Bear and Chloe Khan's bathroom saga
In 2016, Stephen told Chloe he wanted to "f**k her in the bathroom" while the pair got intimate after locking themselves in the bathroom... the noises were unbearable!
5 of 31Stephen Bear's love affair
In 2016, Stephen Bear's girlfriend entered the house to confront him after he cheated with housemate Chloe Khan.
6 of 31Gemma Collins' controversial decision
In 2016, Gemma Collins chose to have a professional blow dry at the expense of her fellow housemates losing out on hot water and the use of hair appliances for the day.
7 of 31Megan McKenna's meltdown
In 2016, Megan McKenna's drunken meltdown got her removed from the house by security.
8 of 31Stephanie and Jeremy's romance
In 2016, Stephanie Davis publicly cheated with Jeremy McConnell, while her boyfriend tuned in to watch every night... awkward.
9 of 31'David's Dead' confusion
In 2016, Tiffany Pollard was hysterical after mishearing Angie Bowie's news that her husband David Bowie had died, and mistaking him for her fellow housemate David Gest.
10 of 31Stephanie Davis' knickers humiliation
In 2016, John Partridge, Christopher Maloney and Darren Day came across Stephanie's dirty underwear and publicly mocked her stains, referring to them as "pigeon s--t".
11 of 31Winston McKenzie's homophobic slur
In 2016, housemates were left stunned as Winston McKenzie's homophobic views were exposed in a task, as he compared gay adoption to "child abuse".
12 of 31Lewis Bloor and Marnie Simpson's shower scene
In 2016, Marnie Simpson and Lewis Bloor enjoyed a naked romp in the showers... Nice.
13 of 31Perez Hilton's sexual threats
Perez Hilton repeatedly tells Calum Best he'd "shove his huge dk up your ae" during a heated row in 2015.
14 of 31Perez Hilton harassing Katie Hopkins
During their daily bust-ups in 2015, Perez Hilton tried to lick Katie Hopkins whilst singing "lick it good, suck this d**k just like you should"... charming.
15 of 31Alicia Douvall banana-gate
In 2015, Alicia Douvall was left in tears after housemates caught her stealing bananas and hiding them under her bed... there's worse sins!
16 of 31Ken Morley's racist slur
Ken Morley was removed from the house in 2015 for using the 'n-word' in a heated discussion with Alexander O'Neal.
17 of 31Lee Ryan, Casey Batchelor and Jasmine Waltz's love triangle
Following her on-screen romance with Lee Ryan, Jasmine Waltz re-entered the house after he quickly moved on to fellow housemate Casey Bachelor in 2014.
18 of 31Leslie Jordan's row with Frenchy
In 2014, Leslie Jordan lost his cool with Frenchy after she cut up his underwear, calling her "white trash" and a "stinking French s**t!"
19 of 31Dappy's raunchy bathroom scene
Dappy 'windmilled' after jumping in the pool with Luisa in 2014.
20 of 31Spencer and Heidi Pratt's villainous antics
In 2013, Spencer and Heidi Pratt prevented housemate Claire Richards from getting a letter from her children... AND celebrated it.
21 of 31Lauren Harries falling over 24/7
Lauren Harries constantly tripped over in 2013. How?!
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22 of 31Denise Welch's drunken antics
In 2012, Karissa Shannon threatened to leave and sue the show as a drunken Denise Welch jokingly pulled down her trousers and exposed her bum.
23 of 31Frankie Cocozza and Nicola Maclean get steamy in the hot tub
Frankie Cocozza and Nicola Maclean get steamy in the hot tub in 2012.
24 of 31Julie Goodyear's banana scene
Julie Goodyear got a little too personal with a banana in 2012.
25 of 31Jedward get vajazzled
Jedward got vajazzled by Amy Childs in 2011... not something you want to see every day.
26 of 31Alex Reid's beauty regime
Alex Reid got a fake tan in the buff in 2010.
27 of 31Verne Troyer's drunken collision
Verne Troyer had a head-on collision with the Diary Room after getting a bit tipsy in 2009.
28 of 31Jade Goody vs. Shilpa Shetty
Jade vs Shilpa in 2007 led to one of the most controversial CBB moments EVER and to Jade's silent eviction from the house.
29 of 31George Galloway's cat incident
George Galloway pretended to be a pussy-cat in 2006. A nation shuddered.
30 of 31Jackie Stallone's shock arrival
Jackie Stallone's shock arrival in the house in 2003 was accompanied by the immortal line: 'Yeaaaah, Jaaaackie!'
31 of 31Vanessa Feltz tragic meltdown
In the first ever CBB in 2001 Vanessa Feltz had a meltdown and scrawled posh words all over a table.
She says, "The first time it happened, I was 12 years old. I was a really good swimmer and I got into an Olympic team, but I was fat-shamed. It was the earliest time I was aware of what I looked like. I stopped going swimming and I’d come up with excuses as to why I didn’t want to do it, because I was so focused on how I looked.
"I always think of that sliding doors moment and of what my life could have been, because I was really good at swimming. We’re so focused on how we look, we forget our bodies are actually amazing.
"I think your body is an instrument rather than an ornament, and once you start seeing yourself like that, you realise, ‘My body is amazing’. I’ve given birth, I’ve climbed mountains – I’m a strong woman.
"I did Strictly Come Dancing and I was actually quite good. I like my body and I like the way it moves. Yes, I take a bit of extra space, but I can dance and I’m great in bed!"
Alison, 44 – who has 13-year-old son Aiden with her ex-partner Noureddine Boufaied – shot to fame on Big Brother in 2002, which led to her landing a presenting gig on ITV’s This Morning a year later.
Her career has since gone from strength to strength, with stints on I’m A Celeb! in 2010, as well as Celebrity MasterChef and Strictly in 2014. She’s even reportedly in talks for her own ITV chatshow.
Now she’s taking her body positive message one step further with her new role as a Weight Watchers ambassador, admitting that her shape-up drive is less about being skinny and more about being healthy and strong.
The presenter – who is 5ft 8 and weighed 20st at her largest – says eating healthily, combined with regular workouts, has already given her a new zest for life. She says, “In my head I look like Love Island’s Maura Higgins. I’d like to be a size 16-18, because at the moment I’m a size 22-24. I’m going to get there – mentally I’m there, but physically I’m not.”
She was encouraged to begin her health drive after learning her BMI (a measure of body fat based on your weight) was very high for her age, although she doesn’t suffer from any health conditions.
She says, "If you are bigger, it is a fact you will have certain issues if your lifestyle is sedentary. I am probably prone to getting high blood pressure and diabetes, although I haven’t got either. The only thing that’s very high is my BMI. Everything else is fine, but I’ve got about 30 years of bad eating patterns to get in check."
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Alison – who previously tried a gastric band to lose weight but said her body "rejected it" – is keen to update fans on her progress, recently sharing a stunning selfie on Instagram. And while she is still the target of vile trolls, the star has perfected her own epic comeback.
She says, "If anyone says anything about me, I literally stalk them off. That means that instead of blocking them, I follow them. It really upsets them. They DM me asking me to stop following them and then I get blocked! As women we get objectified by what we look like, and we do it to each other – so let’s stop doing that."
You can read more celebrity news in this week's Closer magazine - out now.