{"id":68176,"date":"2023-10-08T04:39:05","date_gmt":"2023-10-08T04:39:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/hotcelebon.com\/?p=68176"},"modified":"2023-10-08T04:39:05","modified_gmt":"2023-10-08T04:39:05","slug":"aj-odudu-i-dont-want-to-be-like-davina-im-taking-big-brother-in-a-new-direction","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/hotcelebon.com\/tv-movies\/aj-odudu-i-dont-want-to-be-like-davina-im-taking-big-brother-in-a-new-direction\/","title":{"rendered":"AJ Odudu – I dont want to be like Davina, Im taking Big Brother in a new direction"},"content":{"rendered":"

Big Brother is back! It\u2019s bigger and better than ever before \u2013 and this time two<\/i> hosts will be helming the mayhem. <\/p>\n

Strictly Come Dancing\u2019s AJ Odudu and T4\u2019s Will Best will be presiding over the iconic show and they\u2019re not afraid to take the torch from previous presenters Davina McCall, Emma Willis and Brian Dowling.<\/p>\n

\u201cI certainly don\u2019t feel like I\u2019m going to be stepping into anyone\u2019s shoes,\u201d AJ, 35, says. \u201cI absolutely adore Davina McCall, and the same goes for Emma Willis, who is actually a really good friend of mine.<\/p>\n

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\u201cI don\u2019t want to be like Davina or Emma. I just want to be like me.\u201d<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

\u201cI hope everyone is ready to see someone who\u2019s never looked like me, never sounded like me and never been like me on their screens hosting such an iconic show,\u201d AJ says. \u201cI\u2019m nervous. I\u2019ve got butterflies taking on such a big role, but I\u2019m really excited.\u201d<\/p>\n

For 38-year-old Will, who appeared on Channel 5\u2019s Big Brother\u2019s Bit On The Side <\/i> with AJ, hosting the reboot of the main show is a dream come true. \u201cIf 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,\u201d he gushes. <\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd you don\u2019t 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 \u2013 who I think is the funniest, loveliest person in the world \u2013 I know it\u2019s going to be fun.\u201d<\/p>\n

Will was so shocked to get the call-up, his colleagues thought he\u2019d received bad news. \u201cI was on another job and it was top-secret stuff.<\/p>\n

I was so serious in my reaction and I swore quite a lot that as soon as I got off the phone, everyone said, \u2018Are you OK?\u2019 They thought I\u2019d had a bereavement!\u201d<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, AJ refused to let herself get excited until the deal was officially done. \u201cI was in a dressing gown, slippers and had half an eyelash on when I heard. I didn\u2019t tell anyone until we got our contracts through,\u201d she says. \u201cIt felt so unbelievable that I was like, \u2018I\u2019m not even going to celebrate this until my name is on the dotted line.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

Once the news went public, the pair\u2019s phones were flooded with support from Big Brother\u2019s biggest names. \u201cDavina sent me an amazing message \u2013 she\u2019s been a huge cheerleader of mine,\u201d AJ reveals. \u201cBrian Dowling as well, he\u2019s been so supportive, so I\u2019ve not even needed to reach out to them for advice.<\/p>\n

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\u201cAlison Hammond, Adele Roberts, Dermot O\u2019Leary \u2013 everyone came forward when it was announced. There\u2019s a lot of goodwill from everyone in the industry and the advice has been, \u2018Just be yourself.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

Will adds, \u201cI got a lovely congratulatory message from Jedward [John and Edward Grimes], obviously legends of the Celebrity Big Brother <\/i> house, with a duet. They offered me huge Jepic energy and it\u2019s been sustaining me for the last few months.\u201d <\/p>\n

AJ promises that the Big Brother revamp will reflect modern times. \u201cThe nature of the world has completely changed. TV 20 years ago is completely different to TV now,\u201d she says. \u201cThere are so many ways it\u2019s going to be different, but it\u2019s a social experiment so that is the thing that is going to remain true to <\/i> Big Brother.\u201d <\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s going to reflect issues that are important now and the housemates themselves are going to reflect the sensibilities of people in the UK now,\u201d Will says. \u201cIt\u2019ll be a group of people who would never normally meet.\u201d<\/p>\n

One thing that hasn\u2019t changed is Big Brother\u2019s much-loved narrator Marcus Bentley who is returning for the reboot. \u201cThere 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\u2019re talking about,\u201d Will says.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

AJ adds, \u201cIt\u2019s Big Brother <\/i> like we\u2019ve never seen before but we needed Marcus. People keep asking me if \u2019ve met him yet and I almost don\u2019t want to, I don\u2019t want to meet my idol. I need him to be a voice.\u201d <\/p>\n

The presenting pair are staying out of the Big Brother <\/i> house, but if they weren\u2019t broadcasters, what kind of housemates would they be? <\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019d be too nervous to go in there,\u201d Will admits. \u201cI think I\u2019d be too eager to please and embarrass myself by making sure everyone liked me. I\u2019d be accused of being fake and booted out.\u201d<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, AJ would be a game-player. \u201cI would initially go in with a game plan. I\u2019d have to become unstuck before people [found out] though\u2026I can\u2019t be Nasty Nick!\u201d<\/p>\n

Big Brother airs on Sunday 8th October at 9pm on ITV2 and ITVX.<\/b><\/p>\n<\/p>\n