Alison’s co-star Dermot was on hand to comfort her as the tears flowed (Picture: Ken McKay/ITV/Shutterstock)
Alison Hammond broke down in tears after finding out about a huge honour that had been organised for her and her beloved late mum.
This holiday season, the This Morning presenter has well and truly been the epitome of the Christmas spirit while starring in the pantomime of Jack and the Beanstalk in her home city of Birmingham.
Playing the Spirit of the Beans, the 48-year-old has been spreading plenty of joy to her audiences at the Birmingham Hippodrome – so it was only fitting that the venue would return the favour.
In a special two-hour episode of This Morning that’s set to air on Christmas Day, Alison and her co-host Dermot O’Leary, 50, will be joined in the studio by Josie Gibson, 38, Craig Doyle, 53, and Gyles Brandreth, 75, as the group of five open the presents that they’ve given to each other.
When the time comes for Alison to find out what her gift is, she’ll find out that it’s actually connected to the venue where she’s made her panto debut this year.
‘The Birmingham Hippodrome, it’s a very special place for you and a lifelong dream that you’re performing there,’ Dermot says, as he begins to reveal his co-star’s surprise.
It’s clear how much the gesture at the Birmingham Hippodrome means to Alison (Picture: Ken McKay/ITV/Shutterstock)
January will mark four years since Alison’s mum’s death (Picture: Instagram/Alison Hammond)
‘So, we’ve named a seat “Alison Hammond, TV queen and pantomime star”. That’s named after you in perpetuity, forever.’
At this news, Alison understandably is unable to contain her emotions, bursting into tears at the amazing gesture.
‘I’m so sorry I’m crying, you don’t understand what that would have meant to my mum,’ she says.
But that’s not all, as Alison’s late mum Maria, who died in January 2020 after being diagnosed with lung and liver cancer, will also be remembered at the Hippodrome forever.
Dermot gives Alison a warm hug after the big reveal (Picture: Ken McKay/ITV/Shutterstock)
Dermot continues: ‘With that in mind, we know you used to go there with your mother so we’ve got the next seat along, we’ve just named it after your mother.
‘Now, we know also, we’ve talked about it many times that one of her favourite musicals was West Side Story so we’ve put “the most beautiful sound I ever heard, Maria” on there.’
After Dermot and Alison share a tight hug, she expresses her enormous thanks for such a special present, saying: ‘Thank you so much, that’s the best Christmas present I ever had.
‘I love it, sorry I didn’t realise it was going to be a lovely present … I love it, thank you.’
It looks like the stars of This Morning have a very jolly time indeed on the special episode (Picture: Ken McKay/ITV/Shutterstock)
In January last year, Alison paid tribute to her mum two years after her death.
In a post shared on Instagram, she wrote: ‘Mummy Two years today you left me and the pain has never left my heart . I love and Miss you sooo much . I hear and feel you all the time . My Angel Maria ❤️❤️❤️.’
The TV star received a wave of support at the time, with Holly Willoughby commenting: ‘Ah Alison… sending huge love to you ❤️.’
Gemma Atkinson added: ‘Ahh Alison.. sending lots of love ❤️.’
This Morning airs weekdays from 10am on ITV1 and ITVX.
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Alison’s co-star Dermot was on hand to comfort her as the tears flowed.