It’s been almost two months since ITV unveiled who’d be taking over from the legendary Paul O’Grady as the face of For the Love of Dogs.
Ricky Gervais had to turn down the role due to work commitments and other big names such as Martin Clunes and Julian Clary had been tipped by fans to take over.
But in the end, ITV opted for Alison Hammond, a presenter who has spent much of her time on-screen in the past few years guffawing over her lines on ITV’s This Morning or cake-testing on Bake Off.
The move sparked fury from several fans of the heartwarming show – rightly or wrongly – and Hammond herself admitted she “can never replace the iconic” O’Grady.
“But if I can continue to shine a light on the brilliant work done at Battersea and help to tell the stories of these beautiful dogs, then it will be an absolute privilege to give it my all,” she said.
To be fair to Hammond, it was a very self-aware statement after bagging the sought-after role but in recent weeks, the contents of O’Grady’s will have come to light.
And it makes for almost tear-jerking reading as it proves that For the Love of Dogs was so much more than a presenting gig to the Liverpudlian comedian – it was an opportunity for O’Grady to make a real difference to a cause held dear to his heart.
As part of the £15.5 million left by O’Grady, he allocated around half a million pounds to Battersea Cats and Dogs home.
That’s £500,000 of his own money that will go towards making sure abandoned and less fortunate pooches and kittens will receive a life of comfort and safety they desperately deserve.
The Independent reports that Battersea Dogs Home’s chief executive Peter Laurie said that the charity “will forever be indebted to Paul for all that he did”.
But the late 67-year-old didn’t stop there as he also set £125,000 aside to look after his five pet dogs – Nancy, Arfur, Conchita, Eddie, and Sausage.
Five-figure sums were also left by O’Grady to several other animal charities as well as the Salvation Army.
A friend close to O’Grady told The Sun regarding his will: “This is typical of Paul as he put his money where his mouth was by leaving cash to charities that had special meaning to him.
“And though £125,000 seems like a lot of money to spend on his dogs, they also meant the world to him and he wanted to ensure they always receive the best love and care.”
Now, I’m in no way implying Hammond should have to fork out similar sums in some sort of tasteless one-upping exercise with O’Grady.
And she definitely shouldn’t be the target of criticism for taking on the void left by O’Grady – she is, after all, a TV presenter and For the Love of Dogs is an opportunity of a lifetime.
No, instead I can’t help but feel O’Grady’s parting gift reaffirms the suggestion that For the Love of Dogs should’ve ended at the time of his tragic death.
ITV has failed to recognise that For the Love of Dogs was far more than a TV show to O’Grady, it was part of his entire personality and genetic makeup.
Battersea was left as a grieving family member in his will and I just cannot see how Hammond will be able to form ties anywhere near as dear – and viewers will notice this.
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This isn’t me saying ITV should’ve abandoned Battersea. In fact, quite the opposite.
A show about helping vulnerable felines and canines will always draw in the millions and Hammond could’ve just as well fronted a show of her own under a different tag.
But For the Love of Dogs wasn’t just a TV show in the eyes of O’Grady and as such, it should’ve been set aside as a reflection of his legacy.
Instead, Hammond will come in, be inundated with comparisons with O’Grady, fail in that test, and the show will be marred as a result.
So when the bond between O’Grady and Battersea is one that transcended TV and will never be replicated – why on earth is ITV continuing with For the Love of Dogs?
