Alison Hammond has revealed the terrifying run-in she experienced on her new travel show that left her on the brink of a panic attack.

The ITV star, 49, who turns 50 next week, appeared on Friday’s episode of Loose Women alongside her son Aidan, 19, to chat about her new show, Florida Unpacked.

Chatting to panelists Kaye Adams, Frankie Bridge, Judi Love and Nadia Sawaljha, Alison revealed that she nearly had a panic attack during the filming of her show abroad as she thought she was going to be surrounded by alligators.

She told the daytime TV installment: ‘There is a moment we are doing canoeing actually, and I started having a panic attack.

‘I started having a panic attack because I thought there were alligators and do you know when you get the heebie-jeebies about spiders crawling all over you, and I started having a proper panic attack.

‘He [Aidan] looked like the adult the was like ”mum we are going to go back, calm down.” I looked like a five-year-old.’

Alison Hammond has revealed the terrifying run-in she experienced on her new travel show that left her on the brink of a panic attack

The ITV star, 49, who turns 50 next week, appeared on Friday’s episode of Loose Women alongside her son Aidan, 19, to chat about her new show, Florida Unpacked

The panel also left the studio cooing when they shared an adorable throwback pic of Alison holding newborn Aidan in her arms. 

Elsewhere in her family interview, Alison revealed another surprising upside of her whopping 11st weight loss.

She explained that she and Aidan recently went go-karting but it was the first time she had been able to go.

Alison explained that previously, she was not able ‘to fit’ in the karts but now she can and had an amazing time with her son on the track rather than standing on the sidelines.

Alison opened up about her impressive weight loss last year, revealing that the key to her success was simply cutting out sweets, fatty foods and exercising with a personal trainer.

Admitting that weight-loss jabs weren’t for her, she told Good Housekeeping UK: ‘I think that, for people who need to use them, they’re a good thing – but for me, as soon as I hear any scare story, I get frightened.

‘So I haven’t wanted to use them, but that’s not to say I wouldn’t in the future, and I certainly wouldn’t look down on anyone who did.’

She added: ‘My mum had type 2 diabetes and she was worried for me, so when I then found out that I was pre-diabetic, that was frightening. 

‘I thought: “I have to be an adult about this”. The sweets had to stop – and the fatty foods. 

Chatting to panelists, Kaye Adams, Frankie Bridge, Judi Love and Nadia Sawaljha, Alison revealed that she nearly had a panic attack during the filming of her show abroad as she thought she was going to be surrounded by Alligators

Elsewhere in her family interview, Alison revealed another surprising upside of her whopping 11st weight loss.

She explained that she and Aidan recently went go-karting but it was the first time she had been able to go

Alison explained that previously, she was not able ‘to fit’ in the karts but now she can and had an amazing time with her son on the track rather than standing on the sidelines

‘Twice a week, I see my personal trainer and I have a couple of weights in my bedroom. I walk, I stretch and sometimes I do a bit of yoga.’

Amid her body transformation, the broadcaster opted to sell off her old size 26 clothes earlier this year for charity in memory of her late mother, who pᴀssed away from Liver Cancer in 2020.  

Read More Alison Hammond’s hidden heartbreak: How childhood trauma and incident with dad led to weight battle

The star has been candid about her weight struggles over the years and previously admitted she was ‘so embarrᴀssed’ by her weight when she weighed more than 20 stone, she joined Weight Watchers in 2019 to focus on her health.

Alison admitted she is trolled on a daily basis about her size but refuses to slim down for others as she likes taking up ‘a little bit of extra space in the world’.

Speaking to Lorraine Kelly and her daughter Rosie Smith on the What If? podcast, Alison said she is going to try and eat healthier to avoid knee pain but added ‘we’re all going to die eventually’.

She vowed to live her life to the ‘fullest’ and promised that she was going to have a ‘wonderful life’ in the candid chat. 

Alison, who is loved for her sunny disposition, said she wanted to prioritise her health and wellbeing whilst juggling her on-the-go lifestyle.

She said: ‘I want my journey to empower others to think about making changes to their lifestyle to become the best version of themselves.’ 

Alison, who replaced Matt Lucas as a co-host of The Great British Bake Off in 2023, previously explained how she now has a strict rule on cake tasting after gaining a stone while filming.

The TV presenter originally said she only agreed to join the show ‘for the cake’ – but now she’s realised she has to curb the tasty treats.

Alison opened up about her impressive weight loss last year, revealing that the key to her success was simply cutting out sweets, fatty foods and exercising with a personal trainer (right, in 2021) 

Alison has decided to self-impose a limit of sampling only winners’ creations and those bakes which are awarded Paul Hollywood’s famous handshakes. 

She told the Off Menu podcast: ‘I just started filming Bake Off. I’ve never seen the tent so cold. It was freezing, absolutely freezing. I had my thermals on underneath my dress.

‘But I love that show for the cake. People don’t realise I am literally there for the cake. After every bake you’re allowed to taste every bake and last year I put on a stone.

‘It’s taken me a year to take that stone off.

‘So now I’m only eating if they get a handshake or the winner of a section. But anything else sorry, I’m not going there. As soon as it goes in my mouth I swallow it – I love it.’