Television favourite Alison Hammond is beginning to feel the pressure organising her wedding plans, Closer can exclusively reveal.
The This Morning host has been dating Russian masseur David Putman since early 2024, and has openly said several times how much she’d like to get married.
But, despite not even being officially engaged, insiders have told us that Alison, 50, is already feeling the stress of planning her big day – especially when it comes to the guestlist.
‘The one thing terrifying Alison is the idea of how to manage the guestlist when she has so many famous friends to invite,’ our source reveals.
‘Of course, it would start with her Big Brother pals, her This Morning family, and then people from all the other shows she works on, like Bake Off and For The Love of Dogs. She would also feel obliged to invite some other stars who she has got close to, like Noel Fielding, Prue Leith, Mel B and Amanda Holden. The list is almost endless.’
And since announcing her new show, Alison’s Big Weekend, which will see her spending time with more showbiz pals in their homes, she’s now got a whole new set of friends who will be expecting an invite.
‘Alison worries that people will be upset with her,’ the source explains. ‘She knows her family, including her son, Aidan, 20, and friends want to celebrate with her and see her enjoy her moment. She also doesn’t feel like hiding the fact she’s so in love.
‘She isn’t afraid to show it off when it comes to their wedding. She feels it’s the one time you really can make it all about you and is just hoping to find the perfect balance for the big day. She’s praying that if she has to leave anyone off the list, they won’t be offended.’
But luckily close friends are on hand to offer Alison and David, 28, some much needed advice.
‘Alison is really excited about the prospect of marrying David, and she’s already starting to plan the ceremony with her pals,’ our source adds. ‘She’s got a lot of fun ideas and is being encouraged to really push the boat out and not hold back.
‘Starting planning has definitely made Alison nervous and although she wants a big party, it’s going to cost a pretty penny. Her pals have suggested getting a celebrity wedding planner and letting someone else take on all the stress, as she’s got so much on her plate with work. Alison isn’t opposed to that idea either, but she doesn’t want it to become a circus. She’s trying to take it one step at a time.’
Earlier this year, the presenter – who shares son Aidan with ex-fiancé Noureddine Boufaied – cemented the seriousness of her relationship with David by confessing, ‘I would marry him tomorrow.’
In a rare interview opening up about her relationship last month, Alison also said that the word ‘toyboy’ ‘bears no relation to what we have at all’. She added, ‘Yes, I’m 22 years older than he is, but if you saw us together, you’d understand. People have said to me, “We get it now.” He’s so mature and sensible, and I’m so not. And the things he says to me... they’re just so lovely. It’s like a jigsaw – we fit and it all comes together.’
Prior to David, Alison was in a long-term relationship with cabbie Noureddine, and the pair got engaged when she was 30. Despite never making it down the aisle, Alison is still on good terms with her ex more than a decade after their split, and she has since branded him a ‘lovely man with a beautiful smile’.
Then, in March 2023, following a largely-private two-year relationship with gardener Ben Hawkins, the Birmingham native confirmed live on This Morning that she was single – just a month after his father claimed the pair had ‘proposed to one another’.