This Morning’s Alison Hammond revealed the lowest point of her weight struggles on Friday’s episode with a heartbreaking admission.
The presenter, 49, revealed the reason she decided to lose weight came after she was snubbed by a fellow passenger on a plane – who was himself hit with instant karma.
Alison and her co-host Dermot O’Leary were leading a discussion about whether plane passengers should pay for extra seats after a photo of an overweight man was shared online, sparking a heated debate.
The picture showed a man struggling to get into his aisle seat on a flight from Helsinki to Copenhagen.
The person who posted the original photo described the man as ‘protruding into the aisle’ which had forced fellow travellers to squeeze around him to get to the bathroom.
This Morning’s Alison Hammond, 49, revealed the lowest point of her weight struggles on Friday’s episode with a heartbreaking admission
The presenter revealed the reason she decided to lose weight came after she was snubbed by a fellow passenger on a plane – who was himself hit with instant karma (pictured in 2021)
During the discussion with Gyles Brandreth, Alison revealed she was nearly 28 stone and used to buy extra seats on planes to avoid embarrassment
During the discussion with Gyles Brandreth, Alison revealed that she had had a similar experience and shared her touching story.
She said almost tearfully: ‘I was nearly 28 stone, I will be honest with you and I was classified as morbidly obese and I used to buy an extra seat [on planes].
‘Every single time I flew I would always buy an extra seat because 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.
‘I was just edging into their seat, and they asked to move and what they [the flight attendants] did in the end was actually move me to first class because the guy was being so rude,’ she added.
Alison then added that it was from that moment on that she also started bringing her own seat belt extension with her so she didn’t have to ask for one on the plane.
‘It was uncomfortable and that is one of the reasons I lost weight – in order to not go through that,’ she said sombrely.
After losing weight the TV presenter said she no longer needs to spend extra money on another seat when flying but admitted ‘not everybody can afford’ to do what she used to.
‘I was in a situation where I was morbidly obese, and I had to lose weight. It was a lot harder for me at that time,’ she said.
After losing weight the TV presenter said she no longer needs to spend extra money on another seat when flying but admitted ‘not everybody can afford’ to do what she used to
Alison said: ‘I was in a situation where I was morbidly obese, and I had to lose weight. It was a lot harder for me at that time’ (pictured in 2021)
The star has been candid about her weight struggles over the years and previously admitted she was ‘so embarrassed’ by her weight she joined Weight Watchers (R, pictured in 2019)
The presenters then suggested that airlines should treat obesity as a disability and put steps in place to help passengers so no one had to go through what Alison experienced.
The star has been candid about her weight struggles over the years and previously admitted she was ‘so embarrassed’ by her weight when she weighed more than 20 stone, she joined Weight Watchers in 2019 to focus on her health.
The TV star admitted she is trolled on a daily basis about her size but refuses to slim down for others as she likes taking up ‘a little bit of extra space in the world’.
Speaking to Lorraine Kelly and her daughter Rosie Smith on the What If? podcast, Alison said she is going to try and eat healthier to avoid knee pain but added ‘we’re all going to die eventually’.
She vowed to live her life to the ‘fullest’ and promised that she was going to have a ‘wonderful life’ in the candid chat.
Alison, who is loved for her sunny disposition, said she wanted to prioritise her health and wellbeing whilst juggling her on-the-go lifestyle.
The TV star admitted she is trolled on a daily basis about her size but refuses to slim down for others as she likes taking up ‘a little bit of extra space in the world’.
She said: ‘My WW journey is focused on getting healthier for myself. I feel rubbish when I don’t eat properly or exercise and WW helps me with what I eat and do.
‘I know I’ll also lose weight by following the WW programme, but that’s not the be-all and end-all for me.
‘I want my journey to empower others to think about making changes to their lifestyle to become the best version of themselves.’
She continued: ‘It’s been 17 years since I began working in TV, and I’m busier than ever, especially juggling my duties as a mum.
‘WW is the only programme that works for me, with the Online WW Coach there for support whenever you need it, 24 hours a day.’