The Great Celebrity Bake Off for Stand Up To Cancer is all set to premiere on Channel 4 this Sunday, March 16, and with it return the show’s beloved hosts – Alison Hammond and Noel Fielding.
While Alison Hammond, 50, may be loved by all of Britain, her own journey to love has been somewhat rocky. After two broken engagements and a string of relationships that haven’t quite worked out, things seem to have turned around for the much endeared celebrity host – who has finally found love in 27-year-old masseur and Russian model, David Putman.
Giving a glimpse into her otherwise under-wraps love life, Alison recently posted a rare photo of her boyfriend , as she gushed over him on Valentine’s Day . After battling countless rumours of a split, the This Morning host revealed just last month that she would marry David “tomorrow” if she could.
Appearing on the SmartTV podcast ahead of her 50th birthday on February 5, Alison shared: “Oh do you know what? This is going to make headlines but, yeah, I would marry him tomorrow.” Alison and David embarked on their relationship back in December 2023 when she met him after becoming a client, and the pair have since come under relentless scrutiny over their 23-year age gap.
However, the celebrity presenter has insisted that David is “mature and sensible” when questioned about her passionate romance last year. The couple seem to have shrugged off the sensational headlines and appear to be in dreamy bliss.
Speaking to Good Housekeeping magazine back in December, Alison said of their age gap: “Honestly, when we see the word ‘toyboy’ written about us, it bears no relation to what we have at all. Yes, I’m 22 years older than he is, but if you saw us together, you’d understand. It’s like a jigsaw; we fit, and it all comes together.”
But it hasn’t been all roses and butterflies on the romantic front for the British celebrity. Having called off two engagements till now–one with cab driver Noureddine Boufaied who is also the father of her son, and another to her landscaper boyfriend Ben Hawkins–Alison insists that she enjoys her own company and has “never felt lonely”.
An extremely devoted mum to her 18-year-old son Aiden, who lives with her in London, Alison shares her teen with Noureddine. The unlikely pair got engaged when Alison was 30, but contrary to popular belief, they never actually tied the knot.
Talking to Gyles Brandreth on his podcast Rosebud, Alison shared: “A lot of people think I’ve been married… I’ve never been married. If you look online, it’s like, ‘Alison was married to Aiden’s dad’, but I wasn’t. We never actually got married. It was the perfect time but I don’t feel like we were ready. He had the most beautiful smile and that’s what I fell in love with… Aiden’s got that smile as well.”
And while the relationship wasn’t meant to be, the co-parents share a good equation and remain fond of each other to this day. Further explaining her reasons behind never walking down the aisle, Alison candidly revealed that she didn’t want to be “tied down”, sharing: “I think as soon as I hear the word marriage I get like, cold feet. I think I’m just one of those people. […] 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 just think ‘Alison, let go – it’s okay to settle down’.”
In 2014, Alison was on the receiving end of another proposal, having gotten engaged to Jamie Savage – a security guard she met via a dating website. The pair eventually called it quits in 2017 and broke off their engagement. Speaking to OK! Magazine at the time, a forlorn Alison shared: “We split up. It’s the worst news ever. […] I don’t think I want anyone else now, I feel really sad. I’m going to have to eat a lot of chocolate to cheer me up!”
It was also speculated that Alison had gotten engaged to ‘hunky’ gardener Ben Hawkins–whom she was rumoured to have dated for 10 months from May 2022–however that relationship came to a screeching halt in March 2023 after Alison flaunted her green ‘single ring’ during a This Morning episode focused on dating apps.
That same month, a man was arrested after Alison sat down with the West Midlands Police and claimed that he had threatened to “ruin” her career unless she handed over thousands. Due to legal reasons, the alleged blackmailer could not be named at the time – however he was later revealed to be her ex-beau Ben.
Before landscaper Ben, Alison appeared on Celebs Go Dating and briefly dated audio technician Ben Kusi – however that brief relationship proved to be doomed from the start.
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