All About Alison Hammond, the New 'Great British Bake Off' Co-Host

British TV personality Alison Hammond is a co-host on The Great British Bake Off.

In March 2023, following the departure of actor and comedian Matt Lucas, it was announced that Hammond would join Noel Fielding as co-host for season 14.

"It's official!! It's happening The Great British Bake Off ! Let's have it," Hammond shared on Twitter alongside a video. "The cake that is. So excited."

As a former Big Brother contestant, Hammond is no stranger to reality TV competitions — in fact, she previously appeared on GBBO in 2020 for the show's celebrity special in aid of Stand Up to Cancer. Since 2002, she's also served as a host of the British daytime talk show, This Morning, where she's beloved by viewers for her vivacious personality and viral celebrity interviews.

Here's everything to know about comedian and TV host Alison Hammond.

She was born in Birmingham, England, in 1975

According to a 2004 interview with BBC Birmingham, Hammond was born and raised in Kingstanding, Birmingham, England, and attended the Cardinal Wiseman Catholic School.

"Everyone knew everyone's business but that's what I loved about it," she told the outlet. "I was very fond of school."

When asked what she likes or dislikes about her hometown, Hammond said, "I don't like the accent, even though I can't get rid of mine," adding that her "passion" is Birmingham's architecture.

She got her start on Big Brother

Hammond's TV debut was on the British reality show Big Brother in 2002. She appeared on the third series and was the second contestant to be evicted.

"It definitely changed my life," she told Woman's Own in 2013 of her experience on the show. "I made some lovely friends on Big Brother and it changed my career path. I'm very grateful for that, as I love what I'm doing at the moment. I don't think it's changed me as a person, though. I've got the same life as I did before, I've just got another life on the side, which is good fun too!' "

She replaced Matt Lucas as co-host of The Great British Baking Show

In March 2023, it was announced that Hammond would be stepping in as a co-host of The Great British Baking Show, which is known in the U.K. as The Great British Bake Off, alongside host Noel Fielding and judges Paul Hollywood and Prue Leith.

Lucas announced his departure from the baking show in December 2022 after three years on the program, citing his busy schedule as his reason for leaving.

She has a son

Hammond doesn't often speak publicly about her son Aidan, who was born in 2005, but she has shared a few glimpses into her life as a mom over the years.

In an April 2022 Instagram post, the host spliced together photos and videos of her son, writing, "My baby is growing up so fast. Every day I pray for him, and he will always be the apple of my eye. My Aidan, My last Real love."

They've also appeared publicly together; in 2022, Aidan joined his mother on the British Academy Television Awards red carpet.

In a 2013 interview with Woman's Own, Hammond said that her main ambition for the future was to "just be a good mum."

She continued: "I'm quite busy these days, so I can't be with him all the time. I want him to grow up and say, 'My mum was really, really amazing.' I'd like him to be proud of me — that would be a big achievement. I'd be devastated if one day he said, 'My mum wasn't there for me.' "

She's written two books

Nearly 20 years into her hosting career, Hammond released a memoir titled You've Got to Laugh: Stories from a Life Lived to the Full. Published in 2021, the book offers insight into both her professional life as well as personal anecdotes.

In 2022, she released a children's book called Black in Time, which was co-written with E.L. Norry.

She's a daytime talk show host

Since 2002, Hammond has been a host on the British daytime television show, This Morning, which airs on ITV. On the program, she's interviewed countless A-list celebrities, from George Clooney to Britney Spears, often resulting in viral moments. Her laughter-filled 2017 interview with Ryan Gosling and Harrison Ford went viral, racking up 16 million views.

Hammond has also been commended for her more serious moments on This Morning. Following the 2020 murder of George Floyd and subsequent protests, she delivered an emotional speech about the Black Lives Matter movement.

"Firstly, I'm a mother to a 15-year-old Black boy," she said. "So when I saw that image of George Floyd, I saw my brothers, I saw my father, I saw my son. I saw everybody's son, and I was disgusted to my core. And it hurt me to the pit of my stomach."

She's been on TV shows and in films

After leaving Big Brother, Hammond appeared on other reality competition shows in the U.K. like Celebrity Fit Club, I'm a Celebrity…Get Me Out of Here! and Celebrity MasterChef.

Hammond has also tried her hand at acting. Her TV credits include the medical drama Doctors and the children's show The Dumping Ground. In 2018, she made her Hollywood movie debut in the animated film Hotel Transylvania 3: Summer Vacation.