Alison Hammond has opened up about her fondness for dogs ahead of her debut stint as the face of For the Love of Dogs tonight.
Hammond was unveiled as the replacement for the late Paul O'Grady earlier this much, receiving a less than welcome reception from the ITV show's fandom.
Opposition to her appointment continued after ITV announced the start date for the new series, with many feeling the show should have sought a different replacement for O'Grady.
Much of the backlash to Hammond landing the gig stemmed from the fact the This Morning host isn't a dog owner like O'Grady was.
Others pointed out Hammond didn't grow up with pet pooches either, suggesting her lack of experience around dogs makes her an ill-judged choice by show bosses.
Ahead of Tuesday's premiere, Hammond has addressed her affinity with canines – and explained why she's decided not to own a pet puppy of her own.
Alison Hammond was unveiled as the new For the Love of Dogs host earlier this year
ITV
When asked by ITV if she had a “strategy” for stopping herself running out to buy a dog after filming the new series, Hammond revealed it'd be quite easy.
She said: “I've already come up with my strategy. I mean, I started off saying, ‘I'm going to get a dog.'
“But as time went on, I realised how much actually goes into having a dog and a how, to be a responsible owner is to recognise your own circumstances and see that maybe this isn't the time to have a dog, however, you know, there's always the future.
“I like the ones who are not perfect. Because I'm not perfect myself. I have an affinity for the dogs where there's something wrong with them or they might be a bit chubby or they've got one eye or one leg.
Paul O’Grady died last year
GETTY
“I don't know what it is. I just feel so sorry for them. And I just want to take care of them.”
Hammond also came forward with her reaction to landing the job after receiving the call from ITV.
Elsewhere in the interview, she said: “I used to watch For the Love of Dogs when Paul O’Grady did it. He was incredible and I absolutely fell in love with all the stories and always wanted to know what was going to happen to the dogs.
“I didn’t have a dog growing up because my family was a Caribbean family and they just didn't want to have a dog around the house, but I always loved dogs and used to go and play with them at my mates’ houses.
Alison Hammond has addressed the fact she doesn't own a dog
ITV
“So, when I got this opportunity, I was so flattered to be asked to follow in Paul’s footsteps and I really wanted to help the charity, get stuck into knowing the dogs and let people know about all the amazing work that goes on at Battersea.”
The first of six episodes will premiere on Tuesday and air on a weekly basis as Hammond looks to continue O'Grady's legacy.
