EXCLUSIVE: Close friend and former Big Brother co-star Kate Lawler says Alison Hammond almost walked away from her TV career before it began12:14, 22 Aug 2026Alison Hammond's self-effacing humour, down-to-earth relatability and canny knack of getting the very best out of every interview has turned her into one of Britain's most in-demand TV presenters.‌But the This Morning host, 51, almost quit her hugely successful broadcasting career before it even began, opting instead to resume her former role as a front-of-house usherette at a Birmingham cinema after a short-lived appearance on Big Brother.‌She found fame after appearing on the third series of Big Brother alongside fellow contestants Jade Goody and Kate Lawler in 2002. She would spend 15 days inside the show's purpose built house at Elstree Studios before facing an early elimination.‌And Lawler, 46, who went on to win the show, says her former housemate was initially keen to return to her native Birmingham and a former cinema job, before she stepped in. She told The Mirror: “Alison came to me and said, 'I think I’m just going back to work in the cinema.'"I was like, ‘No, you’re way too talented to give up.’ And she carried on and worked hard and she deserves every success. It’s a hustle – there’s so much competition out there now – but you’ve got to keep hustling.”‌Hammond subsequently heeded her friend's advice and would soon get a TV foothold with a part-time presenting role on This Morning, during which she would be tasked with attending press junkets and interviewing high profile actors, singers and musicians.She has since established herself as one of mainstream TV's best known presenters. Her current roles include The Great British Bake Off, For The Love Of Dogs and a forthcoming revamp of classic '80s game show Name That Tune, as well as an elevated role on This Morning alongside Dermot O'Leary.She joined the Strictly Come Dancing line-up for the 2014 series, in which she was partnered with professional dancer Aljaž Škorjanec, and also competed in I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here! in 2010 and Celebrity MasterChef in 2014.‌"I love her so much and am so incredibly proud of what we’ve achieved,” said Lawler, who has cemented her own successful broadcasting career across TV and radio, notably presenting roles on Capital FM and Virgin Radio . “It’s really lovely that we’re still in touch and still so close.”Lawler welcomed daughter Noa in February 2021 with her husband Martin Bojtos, 43, who she affectionately calls Boj. But despite her positive experiences of pregnancy and childbirth, she is adamant she doesn’t want any more kids.“When people say, ‘Just the one?’ I like to joke and say, ‘Yes, we stopped at perfection.’ But everyone is different,” she tells us. “I’m a proud mum of one, but I’m still a child-free by choice advocate.‌“I don’t believe you need to have kids to have a fulfilled life. I don’t believe the only thing that gives you purpose in life is children. I was happy before I had Noa and I would never turn back the clock, but I didn’t know what I was missing out on before Noa. I would have been happily child-free for the rest of my life, but it is also the most amazing feeling looking at your child and thinking, ‘I can’t believe you’re mine.’”But the presenter says she does receive a few unwelcome comments, especially when it comes to her choice to have just one child. And as headstrong as she might be, she admits it’s sometimes hard to brush the negativity under the carpet.‌Listing some of the remarks she’s had, she says, “That’s so selfish, what about Noa – who’s she going to play with?, surely you want to give her a brother or sister. But there’s no guarantee she’d get on with her brother or sister. And what if I can’t afford to have another child? Or what if I’m trying or can’t have another one? Someone messaged me, saying, ‘An only child is a lonely child, you should give Noa a sibling.’ I was like, ‘Oh, please.’”“I do feel guilt – I think mum guilt exists forever,” she continued. “I don’t think there is going to be a stage in my life where I’m not going to feel guilty about something I’m doing as a mother, or not doing.“Noa’s in this make-believe era where she keeps pretending she’s got siblings. I start to feel guilty, where I’m like, ‘Oh God, is that because she wants one?’ But she’s a really happy girl. She’s got a great social life, so we’re never short of playdates and she’s got lots of cousins. We’ve thought long and hard about whether or not we’d cope having a second child and concluded that it’s much better to give Noa a happy and healthy Mum than a sibling.”Article continues belowLike this story? For more of the latest showbiz news and gossip, follow Mirror Celebs on TikTok, Snapchat, Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and Threads.