Ainsley Harriet has reached out to Alison Hammond after she was racially abused.
Ainsley Harriet
The 45-year-old TV star was abused online after being announced as one of the new presenters of 'This Morning' alongside Dermot O'Leary, but Ainsley has offered his support to the former 'Big Brother' star.
He said: "She’s an incredible presenter and I have worked with her before.
"But that programme is such a tradition, people don’t like to see change. I work on it occasionally and people will have opinions."
Alison and Dermot, 47, are replacing Eamonn Holmes and Ruth Langsford as hosts on the long-running show.
And Ainsley has drawn a parallel between Alison's promotion and the emergence of various black soccer players in Britain in the 70s and 80s.
He told The Sun newspaper's Bizarre TV column: "It’s like Clyde Best playing football for West Ham all those years ago and the abuse he got, and what Ian Wright used to go through, but without them, we wouldn’t have what we have now."
Alison joined 'This Morning' as a reporter after starring on 'Big Brother' in 2002.
And she recently admitted that becoming a regular host represents the realisation of a long-held dream.
She explained: "I genuinely care about the show and the viewers who watch, so it’s a huge privilege and honour to be hosting a show I adore so much. I’m just really excited to be doing even more of what I love alongside the lovely Dermot."
Dermot is also looking forward to hosting the programme in 2021.
He shared: "We have huge shoes to fill and we are well aware what a privilege it is to be stepping into them.
"Above all, we want to have fun and for you to be able to kick your weekend off with a smile, especially given the year we've all had. So I'm delighted to be co-hosting with the living embodiment of sunshine on a rainy day. I can't wait to get started."
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