Alison Hammond has hit back at criticism of her 22-year age-gap relationship with boyfriend David Putman.
The 51-year-old discussed the scrutiny in an interview with Attitude magazine. David, 29, is a model, and the couple have been dating since 2023.
Alison said she would not let other people’s opinions determine who she loves.
Alison Hammond’s three-word message to age-gap critics
Asked about criticism of the relationship, she had a blunt answer. “Mind your business!” she told the magazine.
“No, genuinely, I think people spend far too much time worrying about other people’s relationships. If two consenting adults are happy, loved, respected and making each other laugh, what exactly is the problem? People will always have an opinion,” Alison continued.
To succeed in a relationship, her advice was to be with the person you love.
“I’ve learned that you can’t live your life according to everybody else’s opinions because you’ll end up exhausted and miserable. Love who you love,” she added.
How Alison Hammond’s relationship became public
Alison confirmed she was no longer single on the Parenting Hell podcast in May 2024.
During that appearance, she discussed the challenges of dating as a single parent. She revealed that her son, Aidan, approved of David after meeting him and appreciating how he treated her.
The couple later made their red carpet debut at Jamie Laing’s Candy Kittens summer party in June 2024. Aidan joined them at the event, where the three posed together for photographs.
In December 2024, she described David as mature and sensible when discussing the attention around their age difference.
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Alison on marriage and laughter with David
Marriage, meanwhile, is not something Alison has presented as essential to their happiness.
Speaking to OK! over the summer, she said they did not need to marry and were comfortable without it.
In September, she also discussed her reluctance to marry and her desire to keep her independence. She suggested an engagement was possible, while making clear that marriage itself did not appeal to her.
In the Attitude interview, Alison also explained why sharing a sense of humour mattered so much to her. She said she would not want a relationship where they could not laugh together.
Their differences also keep things interesting, she explained, joking about pairing her life experience with David’s youth.
Read more: Alison Hammond, 51, shares baby bombshell with boyfriend 22 years her junior: ‘We love each other’
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