This Morning has responded to rumours of a feud between presenters Alison Hammond and Dermot O'Leary, with claims the pair have bickered and struggled to "hit it off".
The presenting duo were put together after Eamonn Holmes and Ruth Langsford left the ITV daytime programme, having previously presented the Friday episodes for several years.
But rumours that Alison and Dermot don't get along have been shut down, with This Morning revealing they both socialise outside of work too and have gotten to know each other
Denying the rumours, a spokesperson for This Morning told The Mirror: "Despite the challenges of starting their on-screen partnership during a pandemic, Alison and Dermot have developed a firm friendship and their chemistry has proved a ratings success.
"Since the pandemic ended, the pair are now able to enjoy socialising together post the show and have enjoyed spending time with each other's families too."
Alison's already getting into that Friday Feeling 💃🔥 pic.twitter.com/Tee93o9M4XJune 17, 2022
Previously, a source told the Daily Mail: "They came from very different backgrounds. Dermot has been a big star for many years and has presented some big shows, while Alison has always wanted a less high-profile career and has far less experience.
"They are impatient with one another, mainly because they do things so differently. It has led to on-set bickering and awkward tensions off-air."
But these claims have been denied, and Dermot previously opened up about This Morning presenting duties, telling Fabulous Magazine in September that they had to roll with it and didn't rehearse: "We never got to pilot, we’d never read a script through, we didn’t even have lunch together.
"We literally met for the first time in 15 years or so and that morning we presented two-and-a-half hours of live television together."
Meanwhile, Alison spoke on Lorraine last year and said: "We were thrown together on a Friday, a bit like an arranged marriage. It took about two months to feel comfortable.
"We told each other what we didn't like. We had a few private chats and said 'oh I don't like this about you, and the other said well I don't like you when you do this'. I think the fact we were honest and able to talk to each other...I trust him now."
This Morning airs weekdays on ITV from 10am Monday - Friday.
