Alison Hammond breaks down on 'This Morning' making impassioned speech about Black Lives Matter movement
Alison Hammond choked back tears as she gave an impassioned speech about what the Black Lives Matter movement meant to her.
The 45-year-old TV presenter spoke on This Morning in response to the social media blackout taking place in protest against the death of George Floyd in the United States.
Hammond told co-hosts Holly Willoughby and Phillip Schofield over the phone: “Firstly, I’m a mother too, to a 15-year-old black boy so when I saw that image of George Floyd I saw my brother, I saw my father, I saw my son. I saw everybody’s son, and I was disgusted to my core. It hurt me to the pit of my stomach to think that this is 2020 and we are seeing that.
Read more: Alison Hammond pays tribute to 'beautiful, wonderful' mum after she dies of cancer
“Let’s be honest this has been going on forever. My whole life, mum mum’s life, everybody’s life.”
#BlackLivesMatter pic.twitter.com/fI322duX5w
— Alison Hammond (@AlisonHammond) June 1, 2020
She went on: “I believe this movement Black Lives Matter is so very important and so wonderful when I seem my white, my Asian brothers and sister standing by Black Lives Matter because it means they understand – they can’t understand fully – but they understand what we are going through as a black people.
“And don’t get offended when I say black people because I’m not trying to offend white people. If you are offended by it then you need to look within yourself.”
Hammond added: “It’s not about all lives matter, it’s all about if black lives mattered we wouldn’t be in the situation now. So when black lives matter then all lives will matter.”
Floyd died aged 46 after a white Minneapolis police officer was seen pinning him to the ground by kneeling on his neck as he pleaded for air.
On Friday, former police officer Derek Chauvin was arrested and has been charged with manslaughter and third-degree murder.
In response, anti-racism protests in the US and elsewhere have been held, including in London.
This Morning joined the entertainment industry in the blackout in support of the protests. At 11am the ITV daytime show went dark, showing a black screen with the words “Black Lives Matter” in white lettering.
Hammond admitted that seeing the video of Floyd’s death had deeply effected her.
She said: “It does have an effect on your mental health, of course it does.
“When I see those images on the telly of George Floyd that are put out all the time, especially when he is lying on the floor dead, that has an effect, deeply on my mental health.”
Read more: Alison Hammond reveals weight loss
Hammond, whose parents are from Jamaica, is best known for her bubbly and humorous presenting style. She found fame on the third series of Big Brother in 2002 before launching a successful TV career.
She has been flooded with praise for her emotional speech.
What an awesome woman @AlisonHammond is @thismorning
— Matthew Wright (@Matthew_Wright) June 2, 2020
Presenter Matthew Wright tweeted: “What an awesome woman @AlisonHammond is @thismorning.”