AJ Odudu has opened up about the near impossible struggles she was met with while making her way in the British television industry.
The Big Brother host, 35, who has become the toast of the small screen, had been scrambling for her big break for years before coming a household name.
Speaking to British Vogue in their February issue about the obstacles she faced during her rise to stardom, AJ admitted her family ‘just didn’t have the means’.
On growing up and trying to break into the industry, AJ said: ‘Someone asked me once what it was like being a Black female coming up in the industry. I was like, ‘Oh my gosh, being Black was not even the hardest thing.’
‘We just didn’t have the means. The obstacle was geographical: how do I get from this corner of Blackburn to London, and then stay there? And that was just step one.’
AJ Odudu has opened up about the near impossible struggles she was met with while making her way in the British television industry
But now AJ has firmly found her position in the presenting world, following a successful run as the co-host of the Big Brother revival alongside Will Best, AJ admitted it ‘feels good not to be defined by’ her barriers.
She said: ‘I’ve come through so much hardship, so many knockbacks, so many barriers. Now it’s just great to know that I’m not defined by my class or my race.
‘I’m setting the boundaries myself, and that’s exciting. With make-up, fashion, everything, I just think, “Why not? Just have a go.”
AJ, who first appeared on primetime TV was in 2013 alongside Emma Willis and Rylan Clark-Neal on Big Brother’s Bit On The Side, revealed that her mother Florence’s support has been unwavering ever since she was a child.
She said: ‘She’s an immigrant, a cleaner, and she was telling me, “Yes, you can be a presenter, why not?” I felt like, if my mum says I can, then I can. It has really shaped how I think.’
While her mum always had her back, she admitted that not everyone was supportive of her aspirations to make it in showbiz.
Recalling telling a careers advisor she wanted to be a TV presenter when she was in sixth form, AJ said: ‘They said,”‘OK, that’s not really possible.” And I was like,’ she looks half confused, half affronted, “Yerr it is!”
Alongside the interview, AJ posed for a stunning photoshoot which will run alongside the chat in the upcoming issue.
The Big Brother host, 35, who has become the toast of the small screen, had been scrambling for her big break for years before coming a household name
But now AJ has firmly found her position in the presenting world, following a successful run as the co-host of the Big Brother revival alongside Will Best, AJ admitted it ‘feels good not to be defined by’ her barriers
AJ showcased her model figure in a pair of tiny black shorts, which were teamed with a black round neck jumper and stylish leather gloves.
Her hair was slicked back into a chic bun and her naturally pretty features were given soft touches of make-up.
A second look saw her model a crisp white shirt with a pair of fluffy trousers, which were tied together with a fun silver belt.
See the full feature in the February issue of British Vogue, available via digital download and on newsstands from Tuesday 16 January.
