Alison Hammond appeared emotional on This Morning, as she spoke about being ‘morbidly obese’ and having to buy two seats on a plane as a result.
The 49-year-old television presenter opened up on her weight battle, with Dermot O’Leary sat on the This Morning sofa next to her.
It came as a picture of a heavy man struggling in his airline seat sparked a debate over flying with some accusing airlines of not doing enough to help.
Speaking on This Morning, Alison bravely explained: “I used to be 28 stone, I’ll be honest with you. That is morbidly obese and so I used to buy an extra seat I’ll be honest, every time I flew.
“I didn’t want to put anyone in a situation where I was touching them because I was made to feel uncomfortable on one occasion when I was slightly in their seat.”
Alison then signalled with her hand how much of the other person’s seat she was taking up.
The star continued: “The person asked to move but what they did in the end is move me to first class because the guy was being so rude. It was embarrassing, the whole thing.
“And from that moment I started buying two seats.”
Alison added: “I don’t do it anymore because I lost a bit of timber as you do. But then not everyone can afford to do that.”
Alison also questioned whether airlines should make bigger seats, adding: “They make seats smaller to make more money right?”
Alison said she didn’t want to make other people uncomfortable around her, so she bought an extra seat.
The TV presenter also explained that she would take an extension for the seatbelt to make sure that fit her too.
“This is the first time I didn’t need to use it, flying to America,” Alison said, as she spoke about her seatbelt extension.
Alison said she’d lost weight to avoid going through situations like that again in the future, but does feel like airlines should cater for bigger people.
A This Morning guest then questioned whether Alison thought she’d have lost the weight if she had a bigger seat.
She responded: “It’s a good question. I made myself comfortable for buying two seats and for many years I was, and in that time I did what I could to make myself comfortable.
“But probably yes. I was morbidly obese though, and I had to lose weight. I was dying. I am still big now but I’m 17stone rather than being 28stone.
“It was a lot harder for me then.”
Alison, who usually presents This Morning every Friday alongside Dermot O’Leary, revealed she’s suffering from knee pain, but recently said she has been getting fit by doing weights.
And in July of last year Alison revealed she had cut out sugar to help her shed the pounds.
Alison started to lose weight after her beloved mother sadly died in 2020.
Alison said: “Sometimes I look at myself and go, ‘Wow, I am a big girl’. But I like taking up a bit of space.
“I take a little bit of extra space in the world and I don’t think I’m hurting anyone.”
She added on Lorraine Kelly’s podcast: “We’re all going to die eventually. I might die a little bit sooner, but I’m going to live my life to the fullest.
“And if I do die sooner, I’m going to have a fantastic life. I’m going to have a wonderful life. I’m 47 now, I don’t know how long I’m going to go on for.”
In the past she has had gastric band surgery and has attempted diets and exercise in a bid to loose weight – and even appeared on Celebrity Fit Club.
But the gastric band didn’t work, with Alison explaining: “I laugh about it and make jokes about it but it’s getting serious now. I am over 20 stone, it’s not funny any more.”
