AJ Odudu: Big Brother spin-off presenter returns to TV series that made her name

Presenter AJ Odudu had her breakthrough as a co-presenter on a Big Brother spin-off show 10 years before she was chosen to host the revival of Big Brother in 2023.

Born in Blackburn, Lancashire, she presented various festivals and music programmes in 2012 including MTV News and The Isle of Wight Festival on Sky Arts before she had her first big opportunity on the reality TV show.

Odudu was chosen in 2013 to host Big Brother’s Bit On The Side on Channel 5, which featured guests talking about the events in the Big Brother house, alongside TV personality and presenter Rylan Clark.

The 35-year-old also presented Big Brother’s Bit On The Psych, which featured a panel of experts giving their opinion on the psychology of housemates, alongside comedian Iain Lee.

Following her stint as a presenter of companion shows to the reality TV series coming to an end, she featured on ITV2’s music entertainment show The Hot Desk and took part in a reality TV programme alongside her mother.

Channel 4’s Manhunting With My Mum in 2018 saw Odudu deciding to take a road trip with her mother Florence around Nigeria in an attempt to find her a husband.

Their trip sees her meet Prince Joshua and churchgoer KC, who due to his Christian faith had remained celibate.

The same year that the programme was broadcast, Odudu was announced as a backstage presenter of The Voice UK which was followed by stints in various celebrity reality programmes.

She appeared on ITV series Cooking With The Stars, Channel 4’s Celebrity SAS: Who Dares Wins in aid of charity Stand Up To Cancer in 2019, Strictly Come Dancing 2021, and The Great Celebrity Bake Off For SU2C in 2023.

On Strictly, Odudu was forced to withdraw from the final after suffering a torn ligament and had to pull out of the live tour because of the injury and was replaced by finalist and actress Maisie Smith.

The presenter has also hosted ITV’s gameshow Apocalypse Wow, a revival of Channel 4’s The Big Breakfast, interviewed crowds for the BBC’s coverage of the Platinum Jubilee Pageant and hosted the corporation’s Red Nose Day alongside David Tennant.

In 2022, she became the UK’s spokesperson for the Eurovision Song Contest as she delivered the results from Salford and has continued to be associated with the BBC’s coverage of the major musical event.

This year, Odudu hosted the presentation of a grand ceremony for Eurovision in Liverpool alongside Clark which revealed which countries would compete in which semi-final for the song contest.

She was then announced in April as the host of the National Lottery’s Big Eurovision Welcome which will see Frankie Goes To Hollywood reunite and Atomic Kitten among other special guests perform.

Alongside comedian Joel Dommett, Odudu will present the 90-minute outdoor live show outside St George’s Hall in the heart of Liverpool on the evening of Sunday May 7.

Highlights will be included in BBC One’s Eurovision Welcomes The World.

Odudu is also the host of a new interior design show, The Big Interiors Battle, which arrived on Channel 4 this month.

Her co-host for ITV’s new Big Brother is TV presenter Will Best, 38, who began his career presenting youth music programmes on channels including MTV and T4.

Best was also presenter of comedy music show Suck My Pop, alongside Girls Aloud singer Kimberley Walsh, and was announced as a host for CBBC’s Airmageddon and did a stint on Sky Arts flagship visual arts programme The Art Show.

In the BBC Three show Is This Rape? Sex On Trial in 2015, he gathered British teenagers to watch a specially written drama about a sexual encounter.

They were then asked to work out if it was consensual sex or if a crime had been committed.

In 2017, he had his breakthrough presenting ITV’s Sunday night talent show Dance Dance Dance alongside singer Alesha Dixon.

His other work includes Channel 5’s Classic Car Show and presenting documentaries for the broadcaster.