Alison Hammond Joins New Channel 4 Show
Alison Hammond, a well-known TV personality, has recently taken on another television show, despite previously stating that she couldn’t host Strictly Come Dancing due to her busy schedule. The 51-year-old is set to collaborate with singers Sam Ryder and Paloma Faith for a new Channel 4 programme titled Your Song.
The show will feature contestants performing songs that hold personal significance to them. The goal is for these performers to have the opportunity to play a special gig at the Hackney Empire in London for their friends and family. A synopsis of the show states: “Across the country, extraordinary people perform the song that tells their story. Alison Hammond and the team give the nation’s hidden voices the audience they deserve.”
Your Song will debut on Channel 4 on Sunday, April 12 at 9pm. According to reports, Alison expressed her enthusiasm for the new project, saying, “I just want to do what makes me happy. And if it fills my heart with joy, that’s all I want to do really… It was important to me that it wasn’t exploitative. It’s filmed as live. There’s none of that faking it, what you see is the genuine timeline of what goes on.”
Sam Ryder, who is 36 years old, also shared his thoughts on the show. He said, “It’s just treating other people as you’d like to be treated yourself. I wouldn’t go anywhere near a show like that [that involves criticising singers], because it’s not worth it.” He added, “I know how that feels. I’ve been at the receiving end of that kind of criticism. It was so important that all these people’s stories were treated as truly sacred and they weren’t treated as any kind of currency.”
Alison continued, “It’s not necessarily about whether someone’s got a really good voice or not. It’s about connection to the audience and the connection to their story that they’re telling… I love the fact that it was just about sharing your authentic self with the nation, you know what I mean? Sharing a song that means the world to you.”
This new venture comes as Alison continues to juggle her existing commitments, including hosting The Great British Bake Off and appearing on Friday’s episodes of This Morning.
Alison’s Decision to Decline Strictly Come Dancing
Despite being approached for the highly sought-after role of presenting Strictly Come Dancing, Alison chose to decline. She explained, “I have, actually [been approached]. You didn’t expect that answer, did you? I can’t lie, I’m incapable. I’m so busy, babes, that I’m not sure it’s going to happen. It’s unrealistic.”
She added, “I’m so happy they considered me but, like Traitors, I can’t do it because everything clashes.” Speaking to Radio Times, she said, “I would have loved to have done it – anybody that gets it, they’re going to land the perfect job. But I’m so happy with everything I’ve got. What would I drop to do Strictly?”
In October 2025, Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman confirmed they would step down from their roles, leading to speculation about who might take over the popular show. Several high-profile names, including Zoe Ball, Rylan Clark, Emma Willis, and Miranda Hart, have been linked to the position. Amanda Holden and Alan Carr have also ruled themselves out, focusing instead on other projects.
Alison has experience with Strictly Come Dancing, having competed in 2014 alongside Aljaz Skorjanec, finishing in tenth place.
