No further action in Alison Hammond blackmail case

Prosecutors say they will take no further action against a man who was arrested on suspicion of blackmailing TV presenter Alison Hammond.

A 36-year-old from Warwickshire was arrested and later released by West Midlands Police last year, after reports emerged that Hammond, who co-presents ITV's This Morning, had been blackmailed for large sums of money.

It was alleged that a man had threatened to spread lies about her if she did not cooperate with demands.

The force said it had carried out a thorough investigation, but the Crown Prosecution Service concluded that there would be no further action.

"We have passed on this information to all parties involved," West Midlands Police said.

Birmingham-born Hammond, who rose to fame on Big Brother in 2002, took over from comedian Matt Lucas in 2023 to co-present Channel 4's The Great British Bake Off alongside comedian Noel Fielding.

She is also set to host Alison Hammond's Big Weekend, which sees her spend 48 hours with various celebrities in a new BBC interview show, next year.

Hammond's representatives and the CPS have been contacted for comment.

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