Alison Hammond is reviving iconic gameshow Name That Tune and she says it will take some serious self control after ruling herself out of the Strictly Come Dancing top job
Alison Hammond has vowed to bring the noise when she presents the reboot of Name That Tune – but warned she may struggle to stay off the mic!
The legendary musical gameshow, hosted by Tom O’Connor and then Lionel Blair before it ended in 1987, is being revived by ITV and Alison jumped at the chance to join. It is expected to air on Saturday nights and could explain why the 51-year-old wasn’t in talks to host BBC One’s Strictly Come Dancing.
It is the latest vintage ITV show being brought back with new hosts, including Bullseye with Freddie Flintoff and Wheel of Fortune, presented by Graham Norton. Name That Tune involved contestants trying to guess songs from clues and it is exected to get a very modern makeover with a big glitzy production and a dedicated band to play the tracks.
Alison has spoken about the opportunity and says she had to say yes having spent her childhood tuning in. She said: “As a massive music lover, my biggest challenge as a host will be trying not to grab the mic and start singing along when one of my all-time favourite tunes comes on! And trust me… that will take serious self control!
“I grew up absolutely loving the original show so being part of this now feels like a real full-circle moment. I cannot wait to get into the studio, put the contestants through their paces, and see who really knows their music.
“Let me tell you, being joined by the super-talented Name That Tune band, who’ll be belting out some of the biggest songs on the planet in their own unique, electric style… oh, it’s going to be next-level. Bigger, louder, and more feel-good than ever this is going to be EPIC!”
The much-loved presenter, who has also said no to the Traitors, ended speculation she was set for Strictly last month. Alison was a contestant on the BBC Saturday night favourite in 2014 and managed to reach 10th place alongside Aljaž Škorjanec. She had been heavily linked to take over the reins following last year’s shock departure of long-standing hosts Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman.
The BBC is yet to confirm who is due to take over the reins at the ballroom, or the names lined up to appear on Traitors with some big stars expected at the round table when filming starts in the next few weeks.
She told the Radio Times: “I’m so busy, that I’m not sure it [Strictly Come Dancing] is going to happen. It’s unrealistic. I’m so happy they considered me but, like Traitors, I can’t do it because everything clashes.”
“I would have loved to have done it, anybody that gets it, they’re going to land the perfect job. But I’m so happy with everything I’ve got. What would I drop, to do Strictly?”
We still don’t know who the new hosts will can and in their initial announcement, Claudia began with: “Hi, it’s Claud and Tess. There have been some rumblings, and we want you to hear this from us…” Tess added: “Yeah, we have news. After 21 wonderfully joyful years on Strictl,y we have decided the time is right to step aside and pass on the baton…”
“The very sparkly baton…” Claudia continued before she turned to Tess and said: “You’ve been here since the beginning…” Tess, who used to host the show with the late Bruce Forsyth, then replied: “2004 with Brucey – lovely Bruce.
“That’s over two decades ago and a lot of that time has been with you. It’s been a huge part of our lives, hasn’t it? Since our children were literally babes in arms and now they’re young adults and I think, genuinely we have cherished every second.”
Claudia added: “We have, we’re so lucky to have been part of this amazing show and we just want to thank the Strictly team because Strictly is the people who make it so thank you…” Tess agreed: “They are the very best team in television we’ve been so lucky.
“And the audience as well, they’ve been so wonderful. They’ve been with us for this entire journey of 21 years and we wouldn’t have a show without them and they’ve been just so loyal and supportive.”
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