Alison Hammond returns to This Morning and confirms on-air scare was a panic attack, not a heart attack

From the Newshound archive · first published 9 October 2026 · last updated 10 October 2026.

Alison Hammond, 51, declared 'I'm back!' as she returned to This Morning on Friday, one week after fleeing the set mid-broadcast clutching her chest and struggling to breathe. She confirmed doctors had ruled out a heart attack, revealing a panic attack had caused her symptoms, and said the ordeal was 'probably one of the most scariest things I've ever been through.' She also admitted feeling guilty about the scale of the fuss, saying she hadn't known what was happening.

Hammond said she ran off set because she feared her son might be watching and couldn't hide her distress: 'I just couldn't catch my breath.'

She compared the experience to entering the Stranger Things 'Upside Down', saying the adrenaline wave hit 'like a flash' with no warning.

Hammond took a sly swipe at Holly Willoughby's famous 'Are you OK?' return speech, joking to viewers: 'Are you OK? I hope you are.'