For the Love of Dogs new series: show helmed by late Paul O’Grady to return with Alison Hammond tipped to host

ITV makes progress on series 12 of For the Love of Dogs, as a new host is expected to be confirmed for the popular documentary series soon.

Paul O’Grady, who rose to fame as the drag queen Lily Savage, and later as host of The Paul O’Grady Show, and For the Love of Dogs, passed away in March 2023 due to a problem with his heart.

The star’s death was followed by an outpouring of love from the entertainment community and senior public figures including members of the royal family.   

The fate of ITV’s popular documentary series Paul O’Grady: For the Love of Dogs, which was filmed at Battersea Dogs & Cats Home, was uncertain after O’Grady’s passing, but ITV later confirmed that the show would be continued in his memory, and the search for a new presenter was underway.

Now, after much speculation, it looks like the programme has found the right person for the job, with This Morning host Alison Hammond expected to front the 12th series of the show.  

Who will host For the Love of Dogs?

This Morning co-host Alison Hammond is reportedly in final talks with ITV to host the new series of For the Love of Dogs. Other stars who had been connected with the new show included Stephen Mulhern, Ricky Gervais, and Amanda Holden, although Gervais ruled himself out, explaining that his schedule was too full to allow time for filming. 

Hammond has had a long career in the entertainment world, shooting to fame after taking part in series three of Big Brother back in 2002.

Despite being the second housemate to be evicted, her short stint on the show led to big TV roles, she joined This Morning as a reporter and presenter the same year as her Big Brother appearance, and has been a main presenter on the show since 2021.

Hammond has appeared on a string of reality series, including Celebrity Haunted Mansion, Celebs Go Dating, Ant & Dec's Saturday Night Takeaway, and RuPaul's Drag Race UK, and last year she became a Great British Bake Off co-host.

ITV is yet to comment on Hammond’s role in the new series of For the Love of Dogs, but The Mirror reported on Friday that a source said: “Alison would be a great signing... and as her ever-expanding portfolio of shows demonstrates, capable of putting her hand to anything.”

When is the release date of the new series of For the Love of Dogs?

A release date for the next series of the show has not yet been confirmed - the last season of the show to feature Paul O’Grady was released in April 2023, after the presenter’s death.

The new series has not yet been filmed, so it is unlikely to be released until late 2024 at the earliest. All of seasons 9-11 of the show are available to stream now on ITVX.