Alison Hammond is said to have initially turned down the This Morning hosting job over fears it would be seen as "tokenism".
The 45-year-old presenter, who has been a regular contributor to the ITV show for years, will soon team up with Dermot O'Leary to host the Friday slot each week, replacing Eamonn Holmes and Ruth Langsford.
The husband-and-wife duo have been in the slot for 15 years, stepping in on Fridays when main hosts Phillip Schofield and Holly Willoughby are off, but they hosted it for the last time before Christmas, although they'll still return to cover Holly and Phil's holidays.
Friends of Alison, who takes over with Dermot from January 8, say she initially felt "uncomfortable" when she was offered the gig, as it came just
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