Alison Hammond on how the queer community embraced her after years of being told she was ‘too much’ (EXCLUSIVE)
The British TV icon shares her love for the LGBTQ+ community after a life of criticism to mark receiving the Honorary Gay Award, supported by Polestar, at the Virgin Atlantic Attitude Awards 2026, in partnership with M&S and electrified by Polestar
By Aaron Sugg
Alison Hammond has shared what it meant for the queer community to embrace her after years of being told she was too much by her critics.
Speaking to Attitude ahead of the Virgin Atlantic Attitude Awards 2026, in partnership with M&S and electrified by Polestar, Hammond reflected on being named this year’s Honorary Gay, supported by Polestar.
From her rise to fame appearing on Big Brother in 2002, she quickly stole the nation’s hearts with her infectious laugh and larger-than-life personality, and has gone on to become one of the most iconic women in British television.
Alison Hammond reflects on years of being called “too loud” and “too fat”
Though, as she tells Attitude, that journey wasn’t always easy. “I’ve spent my whole life being told that I’m too loud, too Brummie, too fat, too big, too this, too that,” said Hammond.
This changed when she met the LGBTQ+ community, who embraced her as one of their own. “And then I found a community that basically said, ‘Darling, we LOVE you so much just the way you are. Carry on.'”
“That’s incredibly powerful,” said the TV star. “And being given an Honorary Gay Award? I mean, finally, all those years of watching Drag Race have paid off!”
“Authenticity is your superpower” – Hammond on the lessons she’s learnt from the queer community
Reflecting on her rise to stardom, and arguably gay icon status, she said, “The LGBTQ+ community taught me that authenticity is your superpower.
“When I started in television, I didn’t always feel like I fitted the mould of what a television presenter was supposed to look or sound like. But the LGBTQ+ community has always celebrated people who are unapologetically themselves.”
“And I think that gave me permission to just be Alison. There’s something very special about a community that can see your weirdness and say, ‘No, no, that’s not weird. That’s fabulous.'”
Hammond has been lighting up British TV screens for decades, hosting This Morning, The Great British Bake Off and For the Love of Dogs, and continues to bless viewers with unforgettable viral moments as Attitude’s Honorary Gay.
The full interview appears in the Attitude Awards 2026 issue, available on digital platforms and in print. Print copy available for pre-order here.