Arrest made after allegations of blackmail against Birmingham-born TV presenter Alison Hammond

According to reports, Alison Hammond was blackmailed for large sums of money and a £5,000 BMW Credit: PA Wire/PA Images

Police have arrested a man as officers investigate claims of blackmail against Birmingham-born TV presenter Alison Hammond, he has since be released on conditional bail.

Hammond, 48, who regularly presents ITV’s This Morning with Dermot O’Leary and was recently announced as the new co-host of The Great British Bake Off, was reportedly blackmailed for large sums of money and a £5,000 BMW, according to The Sun newspaper.

West Midlands Police said a man, 36, from Warwickshire was arrested on suspicion of blackmail on Saturday evening and has been in custody for questioning.

The Sun reported the mother-of-one was put under pressure by her blackmailer, who threatened to spread lies about her in an effort to damage her career if she did not cooperate with the demands.

Birmingham-born Hammond rose to fame as a contestant on the third series of Big Brother in 2002 Credit: David Parry/PA

Hammond became famous after appearing on the third series of Big Brother in 2002 and she joined This Morning in the same year.

She currently presents the weekday daytime show with O’Leary on Friday mornings and has gone on to appear in multiple reality shows including I’m a Celebrity…Get Me Out of Here!, Celebrity Coach Trip, Strictly Come Dancing and Celebrity MasterChef.

More recently, she appeared alongside actor Richard E Grant to host the 2023 Baftas.

It was confirmed last week that Hammond will take over from Matt Lucas to present the upcoming series of Channel 4’s The Great British Bake Off alongside comedian Noel Fielding.

Hammond’s representatives have been approached for comment.

Police investigating allegations of blackmail targeted against Alison Hammond

Want a quick and expert briefing on the biggest news stories? Listen to our latest podcasts to find out What You Need To Know…