Lucy Alexander steps down from Homes Under The Hammer

Lucy Alexander is to step down as the co-presenter of BBC One property auction show Homes Under The Hammer.

Alexander, who has fronted the daytime show alongside Martin Roberts since 2003, said it was "time for a change".

They were joined in 2015 by a third presenter, ex-footballer Dion Dublin.

BBC Daytime controller Dan McGolpin said Alexander's "infectious enthusiasm" for property meant "Britain's housing stock owes her a great debt".

Alexander said she had "loved every minute" of making the show, which has an average audience of 1.1 million viewers.

She wrote on Twitter that she was leaving the show with a "huge heavy heart" and stepping down was "not the outcome I wanted, but to pursue other work and a commercial deal, I had to leave".

She added that she would miss Roberts, who she called her "TV husband".

Referring to the programme's use of appropriate incidental music, Roberts responded: "Music plays..If you leave me now..Chicago I will always love you..Whitney Houston The show must go on..Queen".

A BBC spokesman said Alexander would not be filming any more series of the show, but would still be seen in episodes that had already been filmed and in repeats.

He added that Roberts and Dublin would "continue to lead a team of presenters who will host the programmes going forward".

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