AJ Odudu – I dont want to be like Davina, Im taking Big Brother in a new direction

Big Brother is back! It’s bigger and better than ever before – and this time two hosts will be helming the mayhem.

Strictly Come Dancing’s AJ Odudu and T4’s Will Best will be presiding over the iconic show and they’re not afraid to take the torch from previous presenters Davina McCall, Emma Willis and Brian Dowling.

“I certainly don’t feel like I’m going to be stepping into anyone’s shoes,” AJ, 35, says. “I absolutely adore Davina McCall, and the same goes for Emma Willis, who is actually a really good friend of mine.

“I don’t want to be like Davina or Emma. I just want to be like me.”

The reality competition has found a new lease of life on ITV after five years away from our screens, with a brand new house, contestants and presenters.

“I hope everyone is ready to see someone who’s never looked like me, never sounded like me and never been like me on their screens hosting such an iconic show,” AJ says. “I’m nervous. I’ve got butterflies taking on such a big role, but I’m really excited.”

For 38-year-old Will, who appeared on Channel 5’s Big Brother’s Bit On The Side with AJ, hosting the reboot of the main show is a dream come true. “If you asked me 15 years ago what is the one show you would like to present the most, it would be Big Brother. I was obsessed with it,” he gushes.

“And you don’t always get to work with a really good mate on something this high profile. Being able to go out there and do a show like this alongside AJ – who I think is the funniest, loveliest person in the world – I know it’s going to be fun.”

Will was so shocked to get the call-up, his colleagues thought he’d received bad news. “I was on another job and it was top-secret stuff.

I was so serious in my reaction and I swore quite a lot that as soon as I got off the phone, everyone said, ‘Are you OK?’ They thought I’d had a bereavement!”

Meanwhile, AJ refused to let herself get excited until the deal was officially done. “I was in a dressing gown, slippers and had half an eyelash on when I heard. I didn’t tell anyone until we got our contracts through,” she says. “It felt so unbelievable that I was like, ‘I’m not even going to celebrate this until my name is on the dotted line.’”

Once the news went public, the pair’s phones were flooded with support from Big Brother’s biggest names. “Davina sent me an amazing message – she’s been a huge cheerleader of mine,” AJ reveals. “Brian Dowling as well, he’s been so supportive, so I’ve not even needed to reach out to them for advice.

“Alison Hammond, Adele Roberts, Dermot O’Leary – everyone came forward when it was announced. There’s a lot of goodwill from everyone in the industry and the advice has been, ‘Just be yourself.’”

Will adds, “I got a lovely congratulatory message from Jedward [John and Edward Grimes], obviously legends of the Celebrity Big Brother house, with a duet. They offered me huge Jepic energy and it’s been sustaining me for the last few months.”

AJ promises that the Big Brother revamp will reflect modern times. “The nature of the world has completely changed. TV 20 years ago is completely different to TV now,” she says. “There are so many ways it’s going to be different, but it’s a social experiment so that is the thing that is going to remain true to Big Brother.”

“It’s going to reflect issues that are important now and the housemates themselves are going to reflect the sensibilities of people in the UK now,” Will says. “It’ll be a group of people who would never normally meet.”

One thing that hasn’t changed is Big Brother’s much-loved narrator Marcus Bentley who is returning for the reboot. “There are people who probably have never seen the show but they would still know the voice and they would know the reference. If anybody says the time in a Geordie accent, you know what they’re talking about,” Will says.

AJ adds, “It’s Big Brother like we’ve never seen before but we needed Marcus. People keep asking me if ’ve met him yet and I almost don’t want to, I don’t want to meet my idol. I need him to be a voice.”

The presenting pair are staying out of the Big Brother house, but if they weren’t broadcasters, what kind of housemates would they be?

“I’d be too nervous to go in there,” Will admits. “I think I’d be too eager to please and embarrass myself by making sure everyone liked me. I’d be accused of being fake and booted out.”

Meanwhile, AJ would be a game-player. “I would initially go in with a game plan. I’d have to become unstuck before people [found out] though…I can’t be Nasty Nick!”

Big Brother airs on Sunday 8th October at 9pm on ITV2 and ITVX.

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