Yahoo News Vanessa Feltz 'devastated' by Alison Hammond's on-air breakdown over weight battle
Vanessa Feltz has admitted that seeing Alison Hammond crying on This Morning over her weight left her 'devastated'.
On the ITV breakfast show recently, Hammond had to be comforted by co-host Dermot O’Leary on air as she burst into tears recalling her body image struggles.
Reacting to the incident, Feltz, who has been friends with Hammond since they appeared together on Celebrity Fit Club in 2004, told Closer magazine: "When I saw her crying I felt devastated for her, but I do know what it’s like… it was very upsetting [to see Alison distressed].
Read more: Alison Hammond sobs on This Morning as she opens up about obesity struggle
"I’m the second most famous fat person after Dawn [French] and it isn’t pleasant.
"We’ve both been in a similar situation and we both know it’s very difficult. I’m glad she felt able to share that part of herself, but my heart was bleeding for her."
The 60-year-old radio and TV presenter added that it was a ‘lifelong struggle’ and that she and ‘hilarious, compassionate’ Alison have spoken to each other about their battle with their weight.
Mother-of-one Hammond had stunned viewers as she sobbed while responding to a caller who believed her daughter was battling an eating disorder.
The TV host said she had struggled with obesity ‘all my life’, and tried to control her urge to ‘eat all the time’.
She added tearfully: "A lot of people don’t realise obesity is a disease. You can’t help it. I think people look down on people because they’re so big."
The presenter also said lockdown was one of the worst times of her weight battle and she was left devastated after she developed health issues.
Hammond has previously documented her weight journey, which included getting a gastric band fitted after breaking a chair during an interview with Matt Damon in 2007.
However, the surgery had been unsuccessful as her body rejected the band causing her to remove it two years later.
Feltz, who has lost a significant amount of weight and in 2019 underwent a gastric bypass operation, said it was upsetting that Hammond, who she branded a ‘fantastic force for good’, was unable to overcome her weight struggles.
She also urged people to take obesity and overeating seriously, and agreed that these should be seen as a disease.
Watch: Alsion Hammond breaks down in tears over her weight during a viewer call
