ITV This Morning's Alison Hammond steps away from hosting show

Alison Hammond has announced she will be taking a temporary break from her presenting duties on ITV's This Morning to embrace the festive spirit of pantomime. The revelation came at the conclusion of Friday's show.

As the episode wrapped up, co-host Dermot O'Leary informed viewers that Alison was heading "off to panto! " to which she responded: "See you in January. Happy Christmas."

In a warm exchange, Alison then expressed her affection for Dermot, saying: "I love you! " followed by a heartfelt hug as the show ended. Alison is set to dazzle audiences in her hometown, starring with Danny Mac in Peter Pan at the Birmingham Hippodrome.

With regular hosts Cat Deeley and Ben Shephard typically covering Monday to Thursday, it seems they have commenced their Christmas hiatus, as Dermot also mentioned he'll return to screens on Monday, December 16, joined by Josie Gibson, who has been notably absent from the show recently.

Dermot teased: "Monday I'll be back with Josie and we'll be going behind the scenes on the new Wallace and Grommit," reports the Mirror.

Speculation about Josie's absence from the This Morning team had been circulating among viewers, but it appears other commitments have kept her from the ITV couch. In an interview with the Express last September, Josie disclosed that she would be stepping away from the show for a period to embark on an independent project with Channel 5, delving into the world of opulent travel.

Despite taking a temporary break, she reassured fans that there's plenty of work ahead and affirmed her ongoing connection with This Morning.

Expressing her appreciation for the show, Josie said: "I'm very grateful for This Morning and everything they've helped me with because they grew me as a