This Morning: Graham Norton defends Alison Hammond after dead dog exchange

‘I did it in a deliberate way to be awkward,’ said Norton

Graham Norton has defended This Morning presenter Alison Hammond following an awkward moment on the ITV morning chat show last week.

The Irish TV and radio presenter was being interviewed on This Morning when Hammond asked him about his dog, which had featured by his side during a previous appearance.

“No. Dead,” Norton responded.

During his inaugural Sunday show on Virgin radio, Norton revealed that Hammond had received “so much flak” for the encounter, though he insisted the exchange was conducted in good humour.

“I meant to say this yesterday, big up Alison Hammond,” said Norton. “She got so much flak for apparently, you know, being insensitive or upsetting me.

“Because I did This Morning and she said, ‘Oh, how’s your dog?’ and I said, ‘Oh it’s dead’. And I did it in a deliberate way to be awkward. And it was going to be funny. It was funny.”

He added that “any awkwardness” in the conversation “was my fault”, and that some people had “deliberately misrepresented” the moment.

Norton hosted a Saturday morning radio show on BBC Radio 2 from 2010 until December 2020, when it was announced he would take over DJing duties at Virgin Radio.

Addressing his departure from BBC Radio, Norton, who still presents The Graham Norton Show on BBC One, said he was “sad to be stepping away” from the role, and will “miss the listeners and their lives”.