AJ Odudu has been confirmed as the new host of Big Brother on ITV2 and will star alongside another name, Politicalite can reveal.
The former ‘Strictly Come Dancing‘ star will be joined by the ‘Dance Dance Dance’ host Will Best and are set to front the reality TV show, which will air on ITV2 in the autumn.
A source told Politicalite last night: “AJ has known since last year the ‘Big Brother’ job was hers but she’s been waiting for her co-host to be confirmed.
“AJ and Will did a brilliant screen test together and their chemistry was brilliant. It was a no brainer. They are great friends too so to be able to work together is really exciting.
“They could not be more excited about joining forces to bring back ‘Big Brother’.
“AJ and Will are going to be formally announced by ITV really soon and they can’t wait to get stuck in.”
IT’S POLITICALITE WOT KNEW (HALF) OF IT!
In March Politicalite revealed AJ Odudu teased viewers about an upcoming dose of “Nosestalgia” on Comic Relief, following a documentary about the first series of Celebrity Big Brother that aired moments earlier.
Odudu, 35 was presenting a live link with Paddy McGuinness moments after When Comic Relief Did Big Brother aired with the Northern powerhouse presenter teasing: “along side some rare cuts, forgotten gems and a dose of red nosestalgia” to audience laughter.
You get it Paddy don’t you?” she added, leading fans into a frenzy on social media.
Big Brother fans also went wild at the UK Eurovision launch when she appeared to do a cheeky impression of the OG BBig Mutha Davina McCall’s famous “do you want another one?” line.
In February Politicalite revealed her prime time telly appearance at The BRITs with two of ITV’s biggest stars was a sign the northern powerhouse presenter was set to host ITV2’s reboot of Big Brother kicking off in Autumn.
A top telly source familiar with the Big Brother reboot at the network claimed at the time that the move was “to position her as one of ITV’s upcoming entertainment faces”, with an official announcement on Big Brother coming “very soon”.
Responding to the rumours AJ described it all as “very exciting”.
She told Metro.co.uk “There’s no Big Brother news that I can tell you but there’s certainly hope!”
AJ – who hosted former spin-off show ‘Big Brother’s Bit on the Side’ in 2013, alongside with Rylan Clark and Emma Willis – is thought to have beaten off competition from the likes of Alison Hammond, Emily Atack and Vick Hope for the ‘Big Brother’ role.
In November, it was revealed she was in final talks to front the new ‘Big Brother’ series.
A source said: “AJ has been offered the Big Brother job and jumped at the opportunity. It’s a huge boost to her career.
“AJ and ITV are still ironing out details in her contract but she has told a lot of people the job is hers.”
The reality TV show has been off-air since 2018, but the rebooted format is believed to be closer to the original social experiment which first aired in the UK on Channel 4 back in 2000.
A spokesman for ITV said: “announcements will be made in due course.”
More follows.
