Alison Hammond: This Morning star hits out at critics of 23-year age gap with her boyfriend

Alison Hammond has hit out at critics of the 23-year age gap with her boyfriend, stating: “It is nothing to do with anyone else”.

The This Morning host, 51, has been in a relationship with Russian model and massage therapist David Puttnam, 28, since 2023.

In a new interview, when asked about those who use the word “toyboy” when describing Puttnam, Hammond said: “Yeah, people are going to talk. People do. But that’s their business, not mine.”

She told The Mirror that while she doesn’t think they’ll get married, they “choose each other every day”.

“I’ve got a lovely man in my life,” she said. “It’s just easy. I think that’s when you know you’ve got something special. He just sees me for who I am.”

Hammond previously addressed the gap in an interview with Good Housekeeping, explaining: “Yes, I’m 22 years older than he is, but if you saw us together, you’d understand. People have said to me: ‘We get it now.’”

She added that when the term “toyboy” is used in reference to their relationship, she feels it “bears no relation to what we have at all”.

Hammond was previously in a relationship with Noureddine Boufaied, the father of her 19-year-old son Aidan.

Speaking about her bond with her son, Hammond told Good Housekeeping that Aidan is “such a gentleman” and helps her so much.

She added that her son is a “calmer version” of herself.

“I’m all, ‘Woo-hoo!’ and he’s more, ‘Mum, chill.’ He doesn’t try to rein me in, though. He wouldn’t try to change me because, well, why mess with perfection?” she said.

The presenter recently underwent a health and fitness regime that resulted in losing 11 stone.

Hammond focused on consistency, support and mindset rather than quick results, and paid tribute to the trainers who helped her along the way in January.

”Massive thank you to the incredible @ellisgatfield who started my whole fitness journey… You made my life so much easier by simple changes and kindness.”

She also thanked other trainers and gyms for their continued encouragement, describing accountability and support as key to sustaining long-term lifestyle changes.

In 2024, Hammond opened up about her past weight struggles on This Morning, telling her co-host Dermot O’Leary: “I was nearly 28 stone, I’ll be honest with you, and that is morbidly obese. I used to buy an extra seat because I didn’t want to put anyone in a situation where I was touching them.”

The former Big Brother contestant continued: “I was made to feel uncomfortable on one occasion when I was so close to someone’s seat and they asked to move but they ended up moving me into first class.

“It was embarrassing the whole thing and from that moment I just started buying two seats. I don’t do it anymore because I’ve lost a bit of timber, but not everyone can afford to do that.”