Alison Hammond reprimanded following ‘leprechaun whisperer’ comments on This Morning

'I need you to take me seriously'

A very special guest - the world's last leprechaun whisperer.

Hammond and Dermot O'Leary were joined on the couch by Kevin Woods, who had to tell Hammond off before he could answer his very first question.

He was asked about the first time he had met a leprechaun.

"I live in the land....you're laughing before I start. You don't take me seriously. I need you to take me seriously," he said, ad Hammond attempted to reassure him during the St Patrick's Day special.

Woods had met Hammond before, in Ireland for a previous TV segment about his unlikely career, but this time was joined in the studio by another guest - a leprechaun he had caught and was keeping hidden in a bag.

Hammond couldn't stop herself from giggling, much to Woods' disapproval.

"You see them in the image you want to see them in," Woods explained.

"I see them as leprechauns, you may see them as angels or fairies.

"If you're uncomfortable with seeing leprechauns you'll see the image you want to see them in, so if you want to see a child, a small leprechaun you'll see them in that form."

"Oh, I'll probably see them in cake form," Hammond replied, seemingly in reference to the news she is going to co-host the Great Birtish Bake Off, before Woods asked if the hosts would like to see the mythical creature he had caught.

"Can you put your arms around the table there in case he jumps out?" Woods asked.

Hammond laughed.

"Oh, I'm so excited to see this," she said.

"I didn't get to see this when I actually came to see you, why was I not allowed to see any?" she asked to which Woods replied: "Because I hadn't caught any that day.

"Is he not going to suffocate? Can we get him out and get some air to him," Hammond asked.

"He's OK, don't you worry," Woods replied.

He was then asked how many leprechauns remained. Two hundred, apparently.

"Are we going to get to see this leprechaun or what?" Hammond pushed, to which Woods replied: "Well I can't answer questions and take the leprechaun (out) at the same time."

As Woods lifted the bag to retrieve the mythical creature, Hammond commented: "Let him out! Oh, he's really milking this."

But when she added that Woods is "funny", he didn't seem too amused.

"I'm not funny, I'm dead serious," before opening the bag to reveal no leprechaun.

Woods then let out a swear word that wasn't lost on viewers: "Oh, the wee f*****."

Hammond later apologised for the slip.

Related links:

• Snoop Dogg welcomed to Scotland in the most Scottish way possible
• Football fans slam ‘bizarre’ reason for Kim Kardashian attending Arsenal v Sporting
• Elle Brooke puts shout-out for ‘100 OnlyFans girls’ for ‘crazy’ video