Alison Hammond starred on Celebs Go Dating last year - and as someone who has watched every nearly single episode, I can confirm she was the most entertaining person to walk through the agency doors. (Lee Ryan from Blue, Sam Thompson, Olivia Attwood and Gemma Collins are up there.) Her incredible laugh, her effortless banter, the way she dated a man who wore leather trousers and called them 'sexy'. Her charisma and charm made her absolutely perfect television.
Now, the This Morning presenter has spoken about the process of being on the dating show - and she has revealed that she was asked to eat a hot dog by a producer, in what she believes was meant to be a joke at her weight. 'When I did Celebs Go Dating, do you know when they do the pre-titles and you do all the little bits to camera,' she said, speaking on Fleur East’s podcast, The Reality of Reality TV, 'I noticed a producer had some hot dogs on the side and I was doing my little blowing the kisses to camera. And I was wondering about it and then he brought a hot dog over and went "Oh, can you just eat a hot dog?" So then straight away I said, "What do I need to eat a hot dog for?" when I realised, "Oh, it’s the fat person eating".'
This feels so reductive and insulting in 2020. Is seeing an overweight person eat - suggesting that they are gluttonous or sloppy - funny? Of course it's not. It's an old, outdated trope. And it's not as if Alison needs any props to help her be hilarious, as her humour is the reason she's still so successful almost 20 years after starring on Big Brother{
It's sad that, still, weight is seen as a punchline on TV and in film. It's the same with the way Rebel Wilson was called Fat Amy in Pitch Perfect, where a lot of the laughs were revolved around her weight. But, as she called herself Fat Amy in the film, it was okay for us all to laugh, because, you know, she's an empowered woman who is 'fat' on her own terms. Even Gemma Collins - reality TV's most famous diva, a woman who commands so much respect she is known by her initials, the GC - was called a 'fat c***' by Tiffany Pollard on Celebrity Big Brother. And people laughed.
It's a basic point, but it clearly needs to be said: it really is never funny to joke about someone's weight. Let's cut it out.
READ MORE: A Look Back At Some Of Big Brother's Richest Stars
The Big Brother rich list
1 of 9Aisleyne Horgan-Wallace
Without a doubt, Aisleyne is one of the richest BB alumni. When leaving the house, she was offered loads of glamour modelling - and she then wisely invested the money in property. Which has more than paid off, as talking to Katherine Ryan in 2017 she said: 'If I sold up, my property portfolio would be worth a few million.' Nice.
2 of 9Craig Phillips
Big Brother's first winner - who donated his prize money to his friend who needed a heart and lung transplant - is thought to be the richest ex-contestant. Like Aisleyne, Craig has a property empire and with appearances on DIY shows such as 60 Minute Makeover and Big Strong Boys, the builder is estimated to be worth over £6million.
3 of 9Brian Dowling
It's no surprise Brian - who eventually went on to host Big Brother after winning the second series - is on the list. The Irish presenter is estimated to be worth a cool £3million.
4 of 9Alison Hammond
Alison wouldn't be the presenting legend we know and love today if it wasn't for Big Brother. Since her stint on BB, she's starred on a load of shows including Strictly and Loose Women. Now, the This Morning showbiz correspondent is now reported to be worth between £1m-5m.
5 of 9Kate Lawler
The series 3 winner (BFFs with Alison) modelled after she left the house and presented Channel 4 breakfast show RI
6 of 9Josie Gibson
Joining the rich list is Josie Gibson. The series 11 winner made a lot of money through a fitness DVD, which even beat Davina McCall's to #1. If you tune into This Morning, you can still see her radiating her Bristol charm.
7 of 9Brian Belo
Some reality TV trivia for you here: Brian claimed he had the idea for TOWIE and sued ITV and Lime Pictures, reportedly settling out of court for a rumoured £1million.
8 of 9Chantelle Houghton
Yes, before you ask, Chantelle was in Netflix's smash hit series Tiger King (she's an ardent animal rights activist). But the "fake celebrity" made a lot more than her £25,000 prize after winning series four. In May 2006, she signed a £300,000 deal with Random House to publish her autobiography. Her marriage to Preston might not have worked out, but her bank account certainly did.
9 of 9Nikki Grahame
One of the nation's most loved BB contestants, Nikki went on to a successful TV career when the show ended, even landing her own show, Princess Nikki. She also wrote two autobiographical books, Dying To Be Thin and Fragile, based on her experiences with anorexia nervosa.
READ MORE: We Can't Stop Thinking About How Much We Love Alison Hammond And She Needs Her Own Show