Alison Hammond’s Big Weekend, which featured Tony Bellew, has been dropped by the BBC (Image: BBC Studios)
Alison Hammond’s debut BBC One show, Big Weekend, has been given the chop by the network. The show featured Alison spending weekends with celebs like Spice Girl Mel B and actor Luke Evans, delving into their lives and careers.
The six-part series, which aired last year on BBC One included episodes where Little Mix’s Perrie Edwards discussed her struggles with anxiety, Jimmy Carr opened up about his cosmetic procedures, Luke Evans shared his upbringing as a Jehovah’s Witness, Mel B chatted about her Spice Girl days, Sir Lenny Henry explored his childhood, and Tony Bellew took Alison on a tour of Liverpool.
Despite its star-studded line-up, the show didn’t quite hit the mark and won’t be returning for a second series. A BBC spokesperson explained that while they were “proud” of the series, there were no plans to continue it.
A spokesperson said: “We are proud of the series and loved working with Alison Hammond but there are currently no plans for any new episodes.”
Alison, who shot to fame on Big Brother, is a regular face on TV, hosting shows such as Channel 4’s The Great British Bake Off. She stepped in to co-host the series alongside Noel Fielding in 2023, following Matt Lucas’ exit, reports the Mirror.
She’s also taken the reins of ITV’s For The Love Of Dogs, stepping in after Paul O’Grady’s passing in 2024. Alison has already fronted a BBC2 series titled Florida Unpacked, where she and her son Aidan, her Celebrity Gogglebox co-star, embarked on a family adventure to the Sunshine State. It remains to be seen whether the series will make a comeback.
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The Big Weekend announcement comes hot on the heels of Alison landing a plum gig with Netflix. The telly favourite is set to try her hand at podcasting as the host of Netflix’s Bridgerton podcast, timed perfectly for the fourth series premiere later this month.
In the podcast, Alison will engage in lively chats with the cast and crew, including this season’s romantic leads Luke Thompson, who portrays Benedict Bridgerton, and Yerin Ha, who plays Sophie Baek, an earl’s ward and illegitimate daughter forced into servitude following his demise.
While further guests are being kept under wraps, fans can look forward to Alison delving into the latest heart-fluttering romances and juicy scandals shaking up the ton this year.
Although the interviews will be available to watch on Netflix and YouTube, fans who prefer to listen on the move can tune in via Apple Podcasts and Spotify.
In addition to a podcast, streamers can tune into the live-stream of the premiere taking place in Paris on 14th January, join fan events happening in over 20 countries, including the UK, Australia, Brazil and Spain, and explore partnerships with leading brands like Dove, Pandora, COTY, Liberty of London and more.
