Alison Hammond, 49, cuddles up to pups in need of love ahead of For The Love Of ... trends now

Alison Hammond was seen cuddling up to pups looking for love ahead of the second episode of For The Love Of Dogs - just as she found love of her own. 

The next instalment in the new series of ITV's Battersea Dogs & Cats home show, formerly presented by Paul O'Grady, is set to air on Tuesday evening.

It will see the This Morning presenter meet Duchess the French Bulldog, who's struggling to breathe, and Dougal the Bichon Frisé after his much needed haircut.

Her takeover of For The Love Of Dogs - which shines a light on animals in need of a family - comes as Alison has met her own love. 

Alison, 49, is said to have a new lease of life after finding love with hunky 6ft 10in model David, who is 23 years her junior and also a masseur. 

Earlier this week, the surprising way the couple met was revealed with their relationship blossoming from the moment Alison booked David for a £150 massage.

According to The Sun, Alison was a client of the professional masseur and it was during a session that the pair first hit it off, with the presenter visiting David in between her busy filming schedule.

Their friendship then reportedly turned romantic at the end of last year, despite the 23 year age gap between the pair.

Paul became an ambassador for Battersea Dogs & Cats Home in 2012 following the success of the award-winning programme, which he hosted for 11 series up until shortly before his death last year. 

It was announced in January that the Alison would be taking over when the series returned, to mixed reaction from viewers. 

Her debut show was met with some praise, with some fans commending Alison for having 'the touch' and saying Paul's show was in 'safe hands'.

But many others pointed out her lack of a rapport with the pups and slammed the host as 'totally the wrong choice' to fill the late comedian's shoes, dubbing her 'dull as dish water'.

For the first episode, Alison met a tiny puppy called Oscar who was found in a bin, working dog called Bobby who was sent to be a sniffer dog and a spaniel called Nellie who needed an operation.