Alison Hammond Takes Son Aidan Behind the Scenes in New Show Florida Unpacked

TV presenter Alison Hammond has revealed that her teenage son once offered a harsh three-word critique of her career until the pair worked together and his opinion dramatically changed.

Alison, 50, who shares 19-year-old son Aidan with ex-partner Noureddine Boufaied, opened up about the experience in an interview with Woman’s Own magazine. The This Morning star recently teamed up with Aidan to film Alison Hammond’s Florida Unpacked, a budget travel series showcasing the sunshine state.

Reflecting on the project, Alison shared how the behind-the-scenes experience shifted Aidan’s view of her work. “I loved working with him. He used to say I stole a living, but when he did the programme, he told me he really appreciated how hard I work,” she said to Edinburgh Live.

“I am proud to call him my son. He has turned out to be a wonderful young man and we want to do more things together.” Florida Unpacked follows the mother-son duo as they explore Florida on a budget, with Alison offering money-saving tips across key travel areas including accommodation, food and drink, transportation, and activities.

The series draws on Alison’s early career as a travel rep an experience that shaped her love for adventure. “Travel is in my blood,” she explained. “For years I worked as a tour rep following in the footsteps of my dear mum. This meant I was lucky and got to visit Florida from a young age.”

“I was so captivated by America’s culture, food, TV shows, and films, and some of my happiest memories are tied to those first formative trips to the US,” she added. “We managed to budget our way to a place that totally captured our hearts… and now I can’t wait to share Florida’s best kept secrets with you all.”

Alison first gained public attention on Big Brother in 2002. Though she was the third contestant to be evicted, her charisma quickly earned her a spot in television. She later became a fan favourite on This Morning, known for her light-hearted celebrity interviews—including one memorable moment where she fed strawberries to actor Hugh Jackman live on air.

Since 2021, she has co-hosted the show with Dermot O’Leary and has appeared on a range of programmes including Loose Women, I’m a Celebrity…Get Me Out of Here!, Celebrity Coach Trip, and Strictly Come Dancing.

Alison previously revealed that financial struggles initially led her to join Big Brother. “I owed like £3,000, which I was traumatised by at the time,” she said on the Table Manners podcast. “I just couldn’t make that debt go down. So I thought it would be a good idea to win £70,000 on a TV show.”

She left her job as a rep in Tunisia to join the series—a decision that launched her into the public eye and a career in British television.

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(Image: ITV)