Alison Hammond has made her For the Love of Dogs debut, taking over the latest season following the death of original host Paul O'Grady.
Hammond, who's known for her presenting stints on ITV's This Morning and Channel 4's The Great British Bake Off, was announced as O'Grady's replacement in January after he passed away 'unexpectedly' last year.
The 12th season aired its first episode on ITV1 last night (16 April), marking Hammond's debut at the helm of the TV show documenting the crucial work done to rescue and re-home adorable pups at the Battersea Dogs and Cats Home in London.
When hosted by O'Grady - unanimously celebrated for his groundbreaking work as drag queen Lily Savage, as well as his LGBTQ+ and animal rights activism - For the Love of Dogs won numerous National Television Awards and even scored a BAFTA nod for Best Features Programme in 2013.
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After Hammond stepped in to continue O'Grady's legacy, fans had mixed reactions.
While some viewers were initially puzzled at the choice, others praised Hammond for taking on a difficult task with grace, honouring her fellow TV presenter.
"Handing over For the Love of Dogs to Alison Hammond feels like a jarring choice," one person wrote on X when the news was announced.
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Another added: "Should of got a really dog lover, it was never going to be easy replacing Paul, but for me I will now be switching off."
After the episode aired, social media was - again - flooded with negative comments aimed at Hammond, however others urged viewers to give the host a chance and praising her hosting skills.
One person called out some of the vile remarks, saying: "There are a nasty bunch of pointless people on here."
"I thought Alison Hammond was lovely on For the Love of Dogs," they added.
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Someone else commented: "Alison Hammond doing a great job on For the love of Dogs. The dogs stealing the show as they always do."
Meanwhile, another viewer pointed out the 'respectful' title change the show has undergone after O'Grady's death and called Hammond 'fabulous' in her new role.
"I like the respectful way ITV have repackaged this!" the user noted, referring to the new title For The Love of Dogs with Alison Hammond, a tweak on Paul O'Grady: For the Love of Dogs.
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They added: "It would have been easy to call the first series since Paul O'Grady's death Alison Hammond's For The Love of Dogs but to say with Alison instead is correct as it continues Paul's wonderful legacy!"
Addressing the negative comments she has received, Hammond told The Sun: I was actually surprised with how much I got for doing the show.
"I could understand in the sense that Paul was so loved and people were saying: ‘How can she do Love Of Dogs when she doesn’t have a dog? How does she love dogs when she doesn’t have a dog?’ It’s like saying: ‘How can you love children when you haven’t got kids?’
"It’s such a flawed argument for me and all I would say is: ‘If you don’t want to watch it, don’t watch it.’ That’s what I would say to those trolls: ‘Don’t watch it then. If you don’t want to help Battersea, don’t watch it'."
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She went on to say: "Trolls will be trolls and I’ll still do what I do best, which is TV presenting and you’ll see for yourself, I think it’s authentic and I loved doing it."
For The Love of Dogs with Alison Hammond airs on ITV1.
Topics: Celebrity, Alison Hammond, TV And Film, ITV, Dog
Stefania Sarrubba