Alison Hammond forced to apologise after making awkward Daniel Khalife prison escape joke

Alison Hammond was forced to apologise after making an awkward ‘joke’ about Daniel Khalife’s prison escape.

The star presented ITV’s This Morning today (8 September) alongside Dermot O’Leary after the show lost to The Repair Shop at the NTA’s earlier this week.

A favourite with viewers, Hammond was also nominated in the Best Presenter category – losing out to the tale-as-old-as-time regular winners Ant and Dec.

However, her habit of seeing the funny side backfired earlier when she was practically told off by a regular guest - jumper-wearing Gyles Brandreth.

The presenter was speaking of Daniel Khalife’s escape from Wandsworth prison in London, and preparing to read the details of the latest on the story from her script, she said: “I can see this being made into a bit of a film you know.”

As she went on, she couldn’t help but be interrupted by little bursts of giggles and added: “Sorry, I shouldn’t be laughing.”

But Brandreth accused her of ‘glamourising’ the situation by ‘looking forward to the movie’.

He even said: “It becomes a mixture of a Carry On film and The Day of the Jackal – the way you’re telling it.”

ITV

That’s certainly one way of showing your age.

Hammond did backtrack to apologise and gave an ‘I’m sorry’ as O’Leary watched on a little awkwardly.

Brandreth lives nearby to Richmond Park, which was being searched late last night in connection with Khalife.

After the presenter had been giggling, the guest said it was an ‘uncomfortable’ situation and he was kept awake last night due to helicopters.

Khalife escaped the prison on Wednesday (6 September) just before 8.00am.

The 21-year-old former army member is believed to have broken out of the Category B men’s prison via the facility’s kitchen by clinging to the food delivery van, dressed in a chef’s uniform.

He was in Wandsworth Prison awaiting trial, accused of breaching the Official Secrets Act and of various terrorism offences.

Khalife allegedly collected personal information about soldiers from the Ministry of Defence Joint Personnel Administration System in 2021 to pass onto a hostile state, believed to be Iran.

Met Police

He is also accused of leaving a fake bomb device at the Ministry of Defence Stafford, where he was based as a soldier.

The 21-year-old denies all charges.

Khalife was last seen wearing a white T-shirt and red and white chequered trousers with brown steel-toe cap boots. He is described as 6ft 2in tall.

After Khalife escaped, Commander Dominic Murphy, head of the Met’s Counter Terrorism Command, asked the public to contact to police with more information.

He said: “We have a team of officers who are making extensive and urgent enquiries in order to locate and detain Khalife as quickly as possible. However, the public can help us as well and should anyone see Khalife, or have any information as to where he might be, then please call 999 immediately.

“I also want to reassure the public that we have no information which indicates, nor any reason to believe that Khalife poses a threat to the wider public, but our advice if you do see him is not to approach him and call 999 straight away.”