Alison Hammond is reportedly being ‘lined up by ITV bosses to front Paul O’Grady’s The Love Of Dogs.’
The beloved comedian, who presented the show from Battersea Dogs and Cats Home, died ‘unexpectedly but peacefully’ in March last year at the age of 67.
After 11 years on air, Paul’s final episode aired in August and left viewers in tears, as it opened with a heartwarming message.
TV executives have said they would like to continue the show in honour of the late ambassador and volunteer, with Alison, 48, the current frontrunner.
Her current TV credits include ITV’s This Morning and Channel 4’s The Great British Bake Off.
Alison Hammond, 48, is reportedly being ‘lined up by ITV bosses to front Paul O’Grady’s The Love Of Dogs’ (pictured in December)
The beloved comedian, who presented the show from Battersea Dogs and Cats Home, died ‘unexpectedly but peacefully’ in March last year at the age of 67
A source told The Mirror: ‘Paul is obviously irreplaceable but they believe that not only does Alison bring some of Paul’s trademark self-deprecating humour to proceedings, but that she can also make it her own, just as Paul did.’
MailOnline has contacted ITV and Alison’s representative for comment.
Paul was desperate to find homes for every animal he worked with while filming his hit ITV show For The Love Of Dogs, a show insider has claimed.
The home’s head of animal behaviour Ali Taylor has now revealed to The Mirror what life was like filming with Paul behind the scenes.
Ali said that the crew could ‘never stop laughing’ when filming scenes – and that Paul would try to take a new dog home with him every episode.
She added: ‘He’d be trying to steal puppies. Every week he’d fall in love with a new dog and was constantly roping in friends, family, even the crew to re-home animals.
‘He did so much to highlight the plight of rescue animals. We all miss him terribly.’
It comes after Paul’s husband revealed what happened in the beloved presenter’s final moments.
Andre Portasio says the 67-year-old was smoking a roll of cannabis when he tragically died in March this year.
TV executives have said they would like to continue the show in honour of the late ambassador and volunteer, with Alison the current frontrunner (Paul pictured in 2012)
The Brazilian claimed that the late comedian had gone into the kitchen to make a ‘cup of tea’, which was their secret code for rolling a spliff, the Sun reports.
He then returned with the doobie before settling down in a chair at their Kent home and slipping away.
Andre revealed his husband’s last moments at a start-studded memorial for the TV legend, during which he also regaled them with anecdotes about his life.
Among the audience were some of Paul’s closest friends and colleagues, including Alan Car, Amanda Holden and Dawn French, with onlookers praising the ‘surprisingly candid’ and ‘very moving speech’.
Speaking about the day of Paul’s passing, Andre said: ‘We’d had a very ordinary day, just watching TV together at home, when Paul said he wanted to make a ‘cup of tea,’ and that was our little code for rolling a spliff.
‘So Paul went to the kitchen to make a cup of tea, brought it back, lit it and started smoking it – and that was our last time together, the last thing we did. He passed away there in his chair.’
Andre also told the audience at the Bloomsbury Ballroom amusing tales form his life that left them laughing, while Julian Clary regaled them with a time they an eventful meal at Paul’s house.
Julian joked: ‘I went over to Paul’s for dinner, and he served me pumpkin soup. After that, the evening got a bit a wild – and I can’t remember very much.
Couple: Paul died peacefully at his home moments after lighting a spliff, his husband Andre Portasio (pictured together) has claimed
Andre revealed his husband’s last moments at a start-studded memorial for the TV legend, during which he also regaled them with anecdotes about his life
‘The next day, Paul called me and said, ‘How did you find the soup?’ and laughed hysterically.
‘God knows what he’d put in it!’
The moving yet funny memorial to the comedian was in keeping with how the Lily Savage star has been remembered since his ‘unexpected but peaceful’ passing on March 28, this year. It was later revealed he died from a cardiac arrhythmia.
At the time of his death Paul had just finished making the 11th series of his ITV show For the Love of Dogs, and had completed a UK tour of Annie, The Musical in which he played Miss Hannigan.
