Their careers have soared over the past year, with Alison Hammond being dubbed “TV royalty”, while her BFF, Josie Gibson, has become one of the most in-demand UK stars following her stint on I’m A Celeb!, which is set to net her millions in endorsement deals alone.
But despite their professional successes, pals say the single pair – who’ve both endured heartbreaking splits in 2023 – are determined to focus on their personal lives in 2024 and embark on a joint mission to find love.
A source says, “Alison and Josie’s careers reached new heights this year, but there’s an underlying sadness at not having special someone to share that with – especially in the run-up to Christmas. It’s been tough for them both, but with Josie out of the jungle and with all the opportunities that’ll be coming her way, the girls are keen to have some nights out and find love again.”
Alison’s career has gone from strength to strength, having first risen to stardom for her fun and flirty celeb interviews on This Morning – one of which saw her surrounded by topless Magic Mike dancers. However, the mum-of-one has faced heartache over the last year.
Following the collapse of her two-year relationship with landscape gardener Ben Hawkins in March, it was revealed Alison, 48, had been the victim of a terrifying blackmail plot, which left the usually bubbly presenter feeling like she’d “reached the end”. A 36-year-old man from Warwickshire was arrested after the newly-crowned Great British Bake Off host was forced to hand over her BMW worth £5,000 after threats were made to end her career with the release of false information.
Determined to put her heartache behind her, Alison – who shares 18-year-old son Aiden with her cab driver ex, Noureddine Boufaied – said back in August that she was “finally ready to settle down” after years of holding back in relationships.
“As soon as I hear the word marriage, I get cold feet. I think I’m just one of those people,” she confessed. “I just feel like I’m tied down and I don’t like it, when, really and truly, I’m getting to that age now where I think, ‘Alison, let go – it’s OK to settle down’.”
Meanwhile, Josie, 38, has also been vocal about her quest to find her Mr Right during her time on I’m A Celeb!, asking, “Is anybody else single?” upon entering the jungle, and making numerous jokes about finding a man.
It was also reported that the single mum enjoyed some “flirty banter” with the crew after eyeing-up a cameraman during a Bushtucker Trial. Despite a brief romance in the summer – when she revealed she was seeing a mystery man – she posted a string of cryptic quotes on Instagram about “liars and cheats”, later admitting she’d been “love bombed”.
Before that, the former Big Brother star had been single since her split from a property developer known only as “Terry” in December 2018 – just three months after the birth of their son, Reggie. And as Alison and Josie each prepare to spend another Christmas together without a man by their side, pals say the This Morning hosts are on a joint mission to make 2024 their year of finding long-lasting love.
Our source says, “Josie has made no secret of how much she’s longing to fall in love again and now Alison is single too, she’s hatched a plan to ensure they both find love in the new year.
“Josie’s insisted they need to start prioritising their personal lives and has told Alison that they’re going to do regular nights out on the town, being each other’s wingwomen and using every opportunity to meet someone, as well as have fun.
“Alison loves the idea of double-dating and says she’d feel much more confident putting herself out there alongside Josie and having that support from her best mate. “They’ve even joked about the code words they’ll use to get out of bad dates and how they should be in charge of each other’s dating profiles to prevent them from picking the wrong men – especially since they know each other inside out.”
Speaking about how much attention Alison receives from the opposite sex earlier this year, Josie – who’s been on numerous holidays with her pal – said, “She won’t mind me saying this – but men fall at her feet. I’ve never seen anything like it. Men swoon over her, I don’t ever get a look-in.”