Fans rally to support Alison Hammond following This Morning guest's cruel comments

Alison Hammond defended herself against fitness instructor Samantha Yardly on yesterday's episode of This Morning, after the expert claimed she would "refuse to work with someone because of their weight".

Alison Hammond has proved her status as one of Britain's most popular presenters yet again.

Defending herself against guest Samantha Yardly, a fitness instructor who claims overweight people are "lazy", fans on Twitter quickly rallied in support of the presenter's retaliation.

The fitness instructor appeared on the show via video link to argue for life being made more difficult for overweight people.

In their usual school holidays slot, Ruth Langsford and Eamonn Holmes introduced Samantha. ""We are going to be talking to a woman, she is a fitness instructor who says she will refuse to work with somebody because of their weight," said Ruth.

To which Eamonn responded, "What? So she wouldn't work with me?"

"Well I don’t know, 'cause I don’t know her criteria yet," said Ruth.

The camera then panned to fan favourite Alison, who had a few choice words of her own for the fitness instructor.

"So what’s she saying, because I’m big she doesn’t want to work with me? I’m not being funny, come and train me babes, let’s have a laugh, we’ll have fun and I’m not lazy, I'm up for it," Alison responded in typical good humour.

"I'll probably run rings around you! Come and train me, I’m up for it, how about that?" the Weight Watchers ambassador challenged.

While Samantha avoided addressing Alison's challenge directly, fans were soon sharing messages of support for the presenter online.

'Well said Alison, there is an all too common perception that overweight people are lazy, weight has nothing to do with being lazy,' one fan wrote on Twitter. 'Alison Hammond's a perfect example of beauty, shining and radiating inside & out,' wrote another.

'Just wanted to say as far as I can see, Alison is a hard-working and very funny person who brings a smile to the nation... she most certainly isn't lazy… on the contrary!' another fan wrote in support of Alison.

It's not the first time the beloved presenter has spoken up on the important issues she holds close.

“I am a mother to a 15-year-old Black boy, so, sorry, when I saw that image of George Floyd I saw my brothers, saw my father, I saw my son, I saw anybody’s son," she said on the programme in the wake of George Floyd's death and the Black Lives Matter protests last month.