This Morning star Alison admitted that she and her model partner David Putman are as happy as they have ever been, giving a vital update to fans on how the couple are making their relationship work
16:12, 05 Apr 2026Updated 16:41, 05 Apr 2026
Alison Hammond and David Putnam have been together for several years(Image: Instagram)
Alison Hammond has broken her silence the two decade age difference between herself and her partner. The 51-year-old admitted that she feels there are double standards surrounding age gaps, but was thrilled that she had someone to love and be loved by.
Bake Off star Alison has been loved up with Russian model and massage therapist David Putman. Toy boy David, who is 29, is utterly smitten with the telly star after they first met for a massage.
Alison has now opened up on what is next for the couple, including how the pair are trying to adapt to each other’s culture. However, she slammed those who were unhappy with her partner’s young age.
Alison and David have been loved up ever since the pair met during a massage(Image: Instagram/ @alisonhammond55)
Speaking to the Daily Mail, she said: “I completely understand why people are interested when there’s a 22-year gap,” before asking: “But what I find interesting is that it’s not as interesting when it’s the man who is older. Why is that? I just want people to be happy for us. We are absolutely in love.”
The chemistry was immediate when she first met the 6ft 10in model whilst having a massage, according to the Mirror. According to Alison, they balance each other out perfectly, with David being “mature and sensible”, while she confesses she’s “so not”.
Gushing over her partner, Alison said: “He just has the most beautiful energy and everyone feels it when they’re in his presence. It’s very rare. I am so grateful that he chooses to spend his life with me.”
The pair have already been dogged by wedding rumours, and whilst bells aren’t ringing just yet for the smitten pair, Alison did cheekily hint at a potential engagement during a celebrity gossip segment on This Morning last summer. While discussing the day’s news alongside co-presenter Dermot O’Leary, Alison noticed articles about herself: “Oh my God! Apparently I am engaged?” she exclaimed, before joking, “Let me swap it over to stop these rumours,” as she moved her striking diamond ring to another finger.
Alison revealed in December that neither she nor her partner feel any rush to get hitched: “We live together, and we’re happy the way it is. I don’t need a ring to show my love to somebody. What I will say is, if he asked me tomorrow to marry him, it wouldn’t be a ‘no’. That’s all I’m going to say to you.”
David’s mum has apparently not approved of the relationship(Image: Instagram)
The mum-of-one, whose fortune is estimated at around £4 million, has previously expressed her preference for keeping her personal life under wraps. She stated: “I don’t like to go into detail about him, because it’s my private life, and I want to respect his life as well.”
However, she did mention that those close to her know full well that she is utterly “loved-up.” The Bake Off and Love of Dogs host shared that being in a relationship makes her “more patient” and “kinder”, adding that she values having someone to “care for”.
The only snag in their romance seems to be David’s mother, Olga, who reportedly disapproves of the age-gap relationship. A source close to the couple told The Sun that Olga, 64, thinks Alison is too old for David and is uneasy with how Alison’s celebrity status has thrust him into the limelight.
Alison said she is not planning to get hitched to David anytime soon(Image: Mike Marsland, Mike Marsland/WireImagevia Getty Images)
“She’s uncomfortable that her son is with someone who has so much more financial power than him,” the insider divulged. “Olga’s traditional values don’t sit well with their relationship. She’s told him in no uncertain terms that he must end it.”
Another insider revealed: “Olga raised her children in the Orthodox Church. This kind of relationship doesn’t fit her beliefs.” She has reportedly made numerous calls to David from her residence in Sochi, on the Black Sea coast, imploring him to reconsider his decisions.
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